A study of patients attending for eye surgery at a rural hospital in the Republic of Benin

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Over a 14-week period from 27 June-4 October 2000 all patients discharged from our eye unit after surgery were asked to complete a verbally administered questionnaire.

The St Jean de Dieu Hospital is situated 15 km north of Parakou, the major town in northern Benin (pop. 100,000+). The eye unit is staffed by one expatriate surgeon, three national nurses and one clerk.

One hundred and fifty-six questionnaires were completed. The age range of patients was from 2-90 years. Ninety-nine (63.5%) were over 65 years. Ninety-two were male, 64 were female (male:female 1.4:1)

Distance travelled and means of transport

• 14% travelled less than 20 km
• 20% travelled 20-100 km
• 66% travelled over 100 km.

The means of transport used were:

• Car taxi (communal) 72%
• Motorbike taxi 10%
• Train 6.7%
• Personal/family car 5%
• Family motorbike 4.5%
• Other car 1.9%.

Pathology

Of the 156 patients, 66% were operated for cataract and 16% for glaucoma. Other pathology included pterygium (4) and entropion (3). When asked how many understood their pathology, 60% said they did not.

Occupation

The patients’ occupations were: 37% housewives (who usually work just as hard in the fields, as do their husbands); 29% subsistence farmers and 10% cattle herders. Six were children under 15 years (only one of whom attended school) and five patients were officially retired and in receipt of a pension.

Cost of surgery

We asked each patient who had paid the cost of their operation: 42% were self-financed; 38.5%were paid by patient’s children; 9% were paid by a parent and a further 9% by the patient’s wider family. The vast majority (98.7%) did not consider the consultation cost (US$2) too expensive. The price of surgery was acceptable to 95.5% (US$28 for cataract surgery with either an implant or aphakic spectacles).

On discharge from the hospital, usually 7 days after their operation, 135 (86.5%) said that their vision had improved, 17 (11%) said it was worse. Each patient was asked if they experienced too much pain either during or after the operation. Whilst 131 (84%) did not experience too much pain, 23 (15%) did. Two patients made no comment.

General comments

Finally, patients were asked for any additional comments. Sixty-seven patients volunteered 80 comments

• Satisfaction (18)
• Wished for a better result (16)
• Thankful to staff (7)
• Need for hospital to be cleaner (4)
• Experienced too much pain (3)
• Will pray for the staff (3)
• Will tell others to come (3)
• Other comments (26).

Note: The eye service at St Jean de Dieu Hospital is supported by Christian Blind Mission International.

Table 1. How patients knew about the eye clinic

Table 2. Emotions experienced by hospital patients

Table 3. Evaluation by patients of their stay in hospital

Published courtesy of: Tropical Doctor 2002; 32: 17-19