The paper highlights the uneven distribution of training centers, with 44% in Punjab and Sindh each, 11% in KPK, and none in Balochistan or Gilgit-Baltistan. However, Table 1 lists 18 centers, while the text mentions 22 centers elsewhere. Could the authors clarify this discrepancy? Additionally, the study notes that women comprise only 19.3% of trainees, but it does not explore whether this underrepresentation correlates with the lack of training facilities in certain regions (e.g., Balochistan). Could regional disparities further exacerbate gender inequity in neurosurgery training?
I previously raised a question regarding the discrepancy between the 22 training centers mentioned in the text (Section 3.2) and the 18 CPSP-accredited centers detailed in Table 1. For the clarity of the readership and the accuracy of the demographic analysis, could the authors please provide the list of the additional four centers or clarify this point?
Furthermore, building on the identified geographic inequity, particularly the complete absence of training centers in Balochistan, we are keen to understand the authors’ perspective on the patient access challenge.