Senegal faces equipment shortages for ENT care in regional clinics

Medical specialists in Senegal are calling for improved technical platforms and increased human resources in regional health structures to enhance the management of oto-rhino-laryngological (ENT) diseases.

During the 34th congress of the Senegalese Society of ENT and Cervico-facial Surgery in Dakar, Professor Malik Ndiaye, the society's vice-president, noted that a lack of specialized equipment often forces patients from distant regions, such as Tambacounda, to travel to Dakar for treatment. He emphasized that the issue is not a lack of trained specialists, but rather a lack of necessary diagnostic and therapeutic tools in regional areas.

The congress aims to address diagnostic and therapeutic challenges regarding nasal-sinus tumors, congenital vascular malformations, deafness, and chronic middle ear infections. Experts highlighted the need for increased research and better distribution of resources to reduce healthcare disparities between the capital and the rest of the country.