ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Med.
Sec. Healthcare Professions Education
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2025.1644586
This article is part of the Research TopicTransforming Surgical Care in the Global South: Enhancing Quality and AccessibilityView all 6 articles
Implementation of Nigeria's National Surgical Plan: Building Basic Life Support Capacity to Strengthen Safe Surgical Care
Provisionally accepted
- 1Division of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, National Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria
- 2Department of Anaesthesia, National Hospital Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
- 3Department of Surgery, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Surulere, Nigeria
- 4Africa Office, Smile Train Inc, New York, United States
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Background: In many low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), including Nigeria, the burden of surgical conditions significantly contributes to morbidity and mortality rates. Nigeria developed the National Surgical, Obstetrics, Anaesthesia, and Nursing Plan (NSOANP) to address gaps in surgical care delivery and improve health outcomes. The success of this plan depends on the preparedness and capacity of healthcare workers, particularly in emergency scenarios. Basic Life Support (BLS) training is essential to improving emergency preparedness and health outcomes. Methods: This is a retrospective review of 220 participants undergoing a BLS training programme deployed as part of implementation of Nigeria's NSOANP. Trainings were conducted at six locations representing Nigeria's geopolitical zones. Healthcare professionals, including nurses and physicians from specialized cleft care centres and public tertiary hospitals, participated. Post-training evaluations included multiple-choice and skills tests. A qualitative feedback survey assessed participants' self-perception of their skills. Results: The participants included 151 males (68.6%) and 69 females (31.4%). Most participants were specialist physicians (48.2%) and physician trainees (37.7%). All 220 participants passed the post-test written and skills assessments. Feedback indicated improved understanding of team dynamics and high-quality cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Key recommendations included providing manual defibrillators, incorporating pre-tests, retaining provider manuals, integrating BLS training into postgraduate curricula, and expanding training sessions. Conclusion: Integrating BLS training into the NSOANP implementation will improve emergency preparedness and competence among healthcare providers. This would potentially improve surgical outcomes. Participants' recommendations offer a roadmap for future improvements. Continued investment in BLS training is essential for building a responsive emergency healthcare system in Nigeria.
Keywords: Basic life support, national surgical plan, training, emergency preparedness, Surgical safety
Received: 11 Jun 2025; Accepted: 14 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ameh, Obisesan, Seyi-Olajide and Obi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Emmanuel A. Ameh, eaameh@gmail.com
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