Table 2 Reasons for outward referral by initiating health facility level
Type of reason | Reason for outward referral | Initiating health facility levela | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Health Centers N = 91 n (%) | District Hospitals N = 382 n (%) | Regional Hospitals N = 270 n (%) | Total N = 743 n (%) | ||
Staff capacity | Need for specialist care | 29 (31.9) | 291 (76.2) | 222 (82.2) | 542 (72.9) |
Lack of post-operative care | 0 (0.0) | 18 (4.7) | 16 (5.9) | 34 (4.6) | |
Need for imaging equipment training | 7 (7.7) | 6 (1.6) | 6 (2.2) | 19 (2.6) | |
Member of surgical team not available | 0 (0.0) | 3 (0.8) | 17 (6.3) | 20 (2.7) | |
Need for laboratory diagnostic training | 0 (0.0) | 6 (1.6) | 2 (0.7) | 8 (1.1) | |
Equipment | Lack of imaging diagnostic equipment | 30 (33.0) | 154 (40.3) | 99 (36.7) | 283 (38.1) |
Lack of laboratory diagnostic equipment | 14 (15.4) | 25 (6.5) | 46 (17.0) | 185 (24.9) | |
Non-functional imaging diagnostic equipment | 2 (2.2) | 26 (6.8) | 2 (0.7) | 30 (4.0) | |
Non-functional laboratory diagnostic equipment | 0 (0.0) | 15 (3.9) | 0 (0.0) | 15 (2.0) | |
Drugs and supplies | Lack of medical supplies and consumables | 1 (1.1) | 18 (4.7) | 44 (16.3) | 63 (8.5) |
Lack of drugs | 7 (7.7) | 44 (11.5) | 5 (1.9) | 56 (7.5) | |
Lack of blood | 17 (18.7) | 19 (5.0) | 4 (1.5) | 40 (5.4) | |
Lack of oxygen/water/electricity | 1 (1.1) | 5 (1.3) | 0 (0.0) | 6 (0.8) | |
Infrastructure | OR not functional | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.3) | 1 (0.4) | 2 (0.3) |
Lack of inpatient beds | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
OR occupied | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | 0 (0.0) | |
Patient preference | Patient preference | 2 (2.2) | 6 (1.6) | 2 (0.7) | 10 (1.3) |
Other | Other | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.3) | 0 (0.0) | 1 (0.1) |