Five billion people worldwide lack access to safe, affordable surgical and anesthetic care. But improving access to surgery when needed would not only be good for people’s health; it is also one of the best ways to boost economic productivity in low- and middle-income countries.
BOSTON – On a recent trip to India, I hailed a rickshaw that was pedaled, I soon noticed, by a man with a lame leg. It turns out that a few weeks earlier, the driver had been hit by a car while navigating the busy streets of New Delhi. Although he had managed to obtain medication from a local pharmacy for the agonizing pain – probably because his leg was broken – he could spare neither the time nor the money to see a surgeon.
BOSTON – On a recent trip to India, I hailed a rickshaw that was pedaled, I soon noticed, by a man with a lame leg. It turns out that a few weeks earlier, the driver had been hit by a car while navigating the busy streets of New Delhi. Although he had managed to obtain medication from a local pharmacy for the agonizing pain – probably because his leg was broken – he could spare neither the time nor the money to see a surgeon.