Pediatric surgical services in Bangladesh during the COVID 19 pandemic: How they are affected and how to overcome the backlog, keeping healthcare professionals safe.

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which originated in Wuhan, China, has turned into a pandemic. All countries have implemented multiple strategies to try mitigating the losses caused by this virus. To stop the rapid spread of the disease and in compliance with the World Health Organizations social distancing policy, the government of Bangladesh has implemented a number of strategies, one of which is to limit the spread of the virus in hospitals by postponing elective procedures and providing only emergency services in the hospitals. The objective of this survey was to assess the current status of pediatric surgical procedures in different hospitals in Bangladesh and assess the effects of the current restrictions along with their implications in the long run. Materials and Methods: A survey was performed among doctors from public and private hospitals in Bangladesh to evaluate the status on pediatric surgery. Results: The results clearly revealed the lack of a significant reduction in doctors exposure to SARS-CoV-2 by postponing elective procedures. Conclusion: Keeping in mind the socioeconomic and health care conditions of the country, the author recommend resuming elective surgical procedures. Keywords: COVID 19, Pediatric surgery, Surgery during pandemic, Pediatric surgery in Bangladesh, COVID 19 and pediatric surgery.