Protecting vulnerable communities and health professionals from COVID-19 associated mental health distress: a comprehensive approach led by a public-civil partnership in rural Chiapas, Mexico.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has stricken mental health worldwide. Marginalized populations in low- and middle-income countries have been the most affected, as they were already experiencing barriers to accessing mental health care prior to the pandemic and are unequally exposed to the stressors associated with the health emergency, such as economic ravages or increased risk of complicated disease outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to describe a comprehensive initiative resulting from a public-civil partnership to address the increased burden of mental health illness associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in rural Chiapas, Mexico. METHODS: To address the emerging health needs of the general population and health professionals resulting from the pandemic, Compañeros En Salud (CES), a non-profit civil society organization based in Chiapas, implemented a comprehensive strategy to compensate for the shortage of mental health services in the region in collaboration with the Chiapas Ministry of Health. The strategy included three components: capacity building in mental health care delivery, psychosocial support to the general population, and provision of mental health care to CES collaborating staff. In this capacity building article, implementers from CES and the government share descriptive information on the specific interventions carried out and their beneficiaries, as well as a critical discussion of the strategy followed. RESULTS: Through this strategy, we have been successful in filling the gaps in the public health system to ensure that CES-served populations and CES-collaborating health professionals have access to mental health care. However, further studies to quantify the impact of this intervention in alleviating the burden of mental health illnesses associated with the pandemic are needed. CONCLUSIONS: The current situation represents an opportunity to reimagine global mental health. Only through the promotion of community-based initiatives and the development of integrated approaches will we ensure the well-being of marginalized populations.

Assessment of surgical capacity in Chiapas, Mexico: a cross-sectional study of the public and private sector.

INTRODUCTION: Surgical, anaesthesia and obstetric (SAO) care are essential, life-saving components of universal healthcare. In Chiapas, Mexico's southernmost state, the capacity of SAO care is unknown. This study aims to assess the surgical capacity in Chiapas, Mexico, as it relates to access, infrastructure, service delivery, surgical volume, quality, workforce and financial risk protection. METHODS: A cross-sectional study of Ministry of Health public hospitals and private hospitals in Chiapas was performed. The translated Surgical Assessment Tool (SAT) was implemented in sampled hospitals. Surgical volume was collected retrospectively from hospital logbooks. Fisher's exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare public and private hospitals. Catastrophic expenditure from surgical care was calculated. RESULTS: Data were collected from 17 public hospitals and 20 private hospitals in Chiapas. Private hospitals were smaller than public hospitals and public hospitals performed more surgeries per operating room. Not all hospitals reported consistent electricity, running water or oxygen, but private hospitals were more likely to have these basic infrastructure components compared with public hospitals (84% vs 95%; 60% vs 100%; 94.1% vs 100%, respectively). Bellwether surgical procedures performed in private hospitals cost significantly more, and posed a higher risk of catastrophic expenditure, than those performed in public hospitals. CONCLUSION: Capacity limitations are greater in public hospitals compared with private hospitals. However, the cost of care in the private sector is significantly higher than the public sector and may result in catastrophic expenditures. Targeted interventions to improve the infrastructure, workforce availability and data collection are needed.

Access to Essential Surgical Care in Chiapas, Mexico: A System-Wide Geospatial Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Long travel times to reach essential surgical care in Chiapas, Mexico's poorest state, can delay lifesaving procedures and contribute to adverse outcomes. Geographical access to surgical facilities is 1 of the 6 indicators of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery and has been measured extensively worldwide. Our objective is to determine the population with 2-h geographical access to facilities capable of performing the Bellwether procedures (laparotomy, cesarean delivery, and open fracture repair). This is the first study in Mexico to assess access to surgical facilities, including both the fragmented public sector and the private sector. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, conducted from June 2019 to January 2020, Bellwether capable surgical facilities from all health systems in Chiapas were geocoded and assessed through on-site data collection, Ministry of Health databases, and verified via telephone. Geospatial analyses were performed on Redivis. RESULTS: We identified 59 Bellwether capable hospitals, with 17.5% (n = 954,460) of the state residing more than 2 h from surgical care in public and private health systems. Of those, 22 facilities had confirmed 24/7 Bellwether capability, and 23% (n = 1,178,383) of the affiliated population resided more than 2 h from these hospitals. CONCLUSIONS: Our study shows that the Ministry of Health and employment-based health coverage could provide timely access to essential surgical care for the majority of the population. However, the fragmentation of the healthcare system leaves a gap that contributes to delays in care and unmet emergency surgical needs.

Assessment of diagnostics capacity in hospitals providing surgical care in two Latin American states.

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic services are an essential component of high-quality surgical, anesthesia and obstetric (SAO) care. Efforts to scale up SAO care in Latin America have often overlooked diagnostics capacity. This study aims to analyze the capacity of diagnostic services, including radiology, pathology, and laboratory medicine, in hospitals providing SAO care in the states of Chiapas, Mexico and Amazonas, Brazil. METHODS: A stratified cross-sectional evaluation of diagnostic capacity in hospitals performing surgery in Chiapas and Amazonas was performed using the Surgical Assessment Tool (SAT). National data sources were queried for indicators of diagnostics capacity in terms of workforce, infrastructure and diagnosis utilization. Fisher's exact tests and chi-square tests were used to compare categorical variables between the private and public sector in Chiapas while descriptive statistics are used to compare Amazonas and Chiapas. FINDINGS: In Chiapas, 53% (n = 17) of public and 34% (n = 20) of private hospitals providing SAO care were assessed. More private hospitals than public hospitals could always provide x-rays (35% vs 23.5%) and ultrasound (85% vs 47.1%). However neither sector could consistently perform basic laboratory testing such as complete blood counts (70.6% public, 65% private). In Amazonas, 30% (n = 18) of rural hospitals were surveyed. Most had functioning x-ray machine (77.8%) and ultrasound (55.6%). The majority of hospitals could provide complete blood count (66.7%) but only one hospital (5.6%) could always perform an infectious panel. Both Chiapas and Amazonas had dramatically fewer diagnostic practitioners per capita in each state compared to the national average capacity. INTERPRETATION: Facilities providing SAO care in low-resource states in Mexico and Brazil often lack functioning diagnostics services and workforce. Scale-up of diagnostic services is essential to improve SAO care and should occur with emphasis on equitable and adequate resource allocation.