This survey of Ethiopia's hospital resources attempts to identify specific areas of need where resources, education, and development can be targeted. Because the major surgical mortality comes from late presentations, increasing accessibility through infrastructure development would likely provide a major improvement in surgical morbidity and mortality rates. Infrastructure limitations of electricity, water, oxygen, and blood banking do not prove to be significant barriers to surgical care. The increasing number of physicians is promising, although efforts should be directed specifically toward increasing the number of anesthesiologists and surgeons in the country.

Surgical capacity varies throughout Bolivia. There are relatively large numbers of surgery providers but an insufficient number of anesthesiologists, suggesting a specific need for further development in anesthesia. Though there are many areas of strength within the Bolivian public health-care system, this survey identified several areas to which national policy and international collaboration can contribute in order to more adequately address major causes of surgical morbidity and mortality.

Surgical capacity varies by hospital type, with primary hospitals having the least surgical capacity and surgical volume. Departmental, regional, and national referral hospitals have adequate surgical capacity. Surgical subspecialty care appears to be insufficient, as evidenced by the large presence of NGOs and other surgical brigade teams filling this gap.