There are no mechanical ventilators, no Bain or Magill circuits, no drawover machines, EMO or triservice and no method of giving air except by using an Ambu-bag. There are two North American Drager modern electronic machines sitting in the theatre. They are totally inappropriate and have long since ceased to function due to lack of maintenance. A wide range of anaesthetic drugs are available including fentanyl, vecuronium, droperidol, propofol and dopamine whose use does not appear to be understood. There is lignocaine, marcaine and heavy tetracaine but neither pethidine nor morphine.
Ringers lactate solution is imported and readily available.
Normal saline, dextrose and dextrose saline are prepared locally and sterilised by electrical autoclaves which occasionally fail. Blood haematocrit investigations are performed on all patients prior to surgery and testing for HIV and sickle-cell anaemia is performed on demand. Patients for elective surgery are required to supply one unit of blood or more from family members in advance. An autotransfusion service could be introduced as suction, glass bottles and citrate are available. There is a wide selection of endotracheal tubes which are washed and re-used until the cuffs malfunction.