Utilization and Completeness of World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist in a Tertiary Hospital in Nepal

Background The World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist (WHO-SSC) reduces surgical complications and morbidity; however, its utilization remains low in low- and middleincome countries. Objective To assess the utilization and completeness of a modified WHO Surgical Safety Checklist at a tertiary hospital in Nepal. Method A descriptive, observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 300 surgeries at Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital (February to May 2024) following ethical clearance. Utilization and completeness of the modified WHO Surgical Safety Checklist (Pre-procedure check, Sign-in, Time-out, Sign-out) were observed passively. Data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel and SPSS v 20. Data were presented in numbers and percentages and Chi-square/ Fisher's exact test used for categorical variables. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered significant. Result WHO Surgical Safety Checklist was utilized in 48.7% of cases, with full compliance in only 8.7%. Utilization rate was seen to be 63% in the Pre-procedure check, while Sign-out was the least performed (29.3%). Highest utilization was seen in the General Surgery department, while the highest completion rate was seen in Neurosurgery (100%). Verbal confirmation (70.2%) was done more than written documentation. Conclusion Despite proven benefits, adherence to WHO Surgical Safety Checklist remains suboptimal. Targeted training and regular audits are essential to improve compliance and patient safety in resource-limited settings.