Pediatric surgical services in Bangladesh during the COVID 19 pandemic: How they are affected and how to overcome the backlog, keeping healthcare professionals safe.

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
(SARS-CoV-2), which originated in Wuhan, China, has turned into a pandemic. All
countries have implemented multiple strategies to try mitigating the losses
caused by this virus. To stop the rapid spread of the disease and in compliance
with the World Health Organizations social distancing policy, the government of
Bangladesh has implemented a number of strategies, one of which is to limit the
spread of the virus in hospitals by postponing elective procedures and
providing only emergency services in the hospitals. The objective of this
survey was to assess the current status of pediatric surgical procedures in
different hospitals in Bangladesh and assess the effects of the current
restrictions along with their implications in the long run. Materials and
Methods: A survey was performed among doctors from public and private hospitals
in Bangladesh to evaluate the status on pediatric surgery. Results: The results
clearly revealed the lack of a significant reduction in doctors exposure to
SARS-CoV-2 by postponing elective procedures. Conclusion: Keeping in mind the
socioeconomic and health care conditions of the country, the author recommend
resuming elective surgical procedures.