Main description:

Access to approved scientific medical literature is vital in the context of providing standard, evidence-based health care. Despite the abundance of medical information, ensuring that it is available to health care professionals in the field remains a challenge. Remote areas in economically disadvantaged sub-Saharan Africa often lack internet facilities or reference libraries. At the same time, the long-term storage of books and other documents is a problem due to climatic factors such as humidity and heat, the presence of pests like insects and rodents, as well as environmental hazards and the lack of trained staff to adequately manage, maintain and distribute literary material.

Against this background and based on practical experience, this book compiles a series of common disease management protocols adapted for minimal-resource facilities, formulas for national healthcare schemes (vaccination, antenatal, child care) and other useful documents that can facilitate effective hospital management in low-resource countries. Primarily intended for healthcare workers in The Gambia and other nations with a similar socio-economical background, the book is also a valuable resource for international students and healthcare workers from regions like Europe and the Americas intending to do internships in economically underprivileged geographic areas.

Contents:

Introduction
A clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment
The periodic medical check-up: a clinical approach to preventive medical care
Neurology
Ear, nose, and throat (ENT) and stomatology
Cardiovascular
Respiratory diseases
Gastroenterology
Urology and nephrology
Obstetrics, gynecology, and antenatal care
Musculoskeletal
Dermatology
Hematology
Endocrinology
Ophthalmology
Psychiatry
Pediatric conditions and their treatment
Palliative care
Organization of regular standard healthcare
The surgical unit: organization and management
Behind the scenes: pharmacological services
Adapted essential medicines list for a standard minimal-resource health facility
Immunization and vaccines
Basic clinical laboratory services in a standard minimal-resource facility
Hospital administration and management.