Abstract
Background :Surgical safety is a global priority due to the high risk of
preventable errors such as wrong-site surgeries, anesthesia complications, and
infections. To address this, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced
the Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) in 2008 to improve surgical outcomes by
enhancing communication and verifying critical safety steps before, during,
and after surgeries. Despite global adoption, gaps in knowledge, attitude, and
implementation remain, especially in low-resource settings like Yemen.
Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of operation
theatre technicians regarding the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist in a teaching
hospital in Yemen. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was
conducted among 112 operation theatre technicians at a teaching hospital
in Yemen. Data were collected using a structured, validated questionnaire that
included demographic data, nine knowledge questions, and ten attitude
statements rated on a Likert scale. Descriptive statistics and Chi-square tests
were performed using SPSS version 25 to analyze the data.
Results :Findings revealed that 70% of participants were aware of the WHO
SSC, and 85% believed it improves patient safety. However, only 40% had
received formal training, and 50% knew the checklist’s three phases.
Attitudes toward the checklist were overwhelmingly positive, with over 60%
strongly agreeing that it should be used in all surgeries. Despite this,
participants reported operational challenges such as team resistance and time
constraints. Statistical analysis showed no significant association between
years of experience and knowledge or attitude levels (p > 0.05).
Conclusion: While operation theatre technicians demonstrated strong support
for the SSC, gaps in formal training and operational challenges may hinder its
effective implementation. These findings highlight the need for structured
training programs, institutional policy enforcement, and team-based
interventions to improve surgical safety practices in Yemeni healthcare
settings.
Keywords
Surgical Safety Checklist, WHO, Operation Theatre Technicians,
Knowledge, Attitude, Patient Safety, Yemen, Low-Resource Settings

By:
1-Widad Abdullah Ahmed Muawwadah

  1. Khlood Hassan Mohammed Al-Khulani
  2. Nada Mohsen Hassan Al-Muntasir
  3. Nada Mohammed Haider Al-Waqidi
  4. Manar Abdul-Salam Mohammed Aqilan
    6-Shahd Abdul-Rahman Ali Al-Sabqi
  5. Afaf Sadek Abdul-Badi’ Al-Hamadi
  6. Widad Zaid Ahmed Al-Omari
  7. Shaimaa Mohammed Qa’id Jahlan
  8. Mariam Haza’a Mohammed Al-Sabari
    Supervisor:
    Dr. Aid Yaish