title: Leadership in surgery for public sector hospitals in Jamaica: strategies for the operating room.
abstract: The barriers to health care delivery in developing nations are many: underfunding, limited support services, scarce resources, suboptimal health care worker attitudes, and deficient health care policies are some of the challenges. The literature contains little information about health care leadership in developing nations. This discursive paper examines the impact of leadership on the delivery of operating room (OR) services in public sector hospitals in Jamaica.Delivery of OR services in Jamaica is hindered by many unique cultural, financial, political, and environmental barriers. We identify six leadership goals adapted to this environment to achieve change. Effective leadership must adapt to the environment. Delivery of OR services in Jamaica may be improved by addressing leadership training, workplace safety, interpersonal communication, and work environment and by revising existing policies. Additionally, there should be regular practice audits and quality control surveys.
authors.affiliation: Lecturer in Surgery at the University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica. E-mail: socawich@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Shamir O
authors.initials: SO
authors.lastname: Cawich
authors.forename: Hyacinth E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Harding
authors.forename: Ivor W
authors.initials: IW
authors.lastname: Crandon
authors.forename: Clarence D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: McGaw
authors.forename: Alan T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tennant
authors.forename: Necia R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Allie C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Lindberg K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Johnson
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D003906:Developing Countries; D013502:General Surgery; D006040:Goals; D006295:Health Resources; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica; D007857:Leadership; D009873:Operating Rooms; D017150:Public Sector