100 children in Zimbabwe have received free hernia repair at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital in Mutare.
Development Diaries reports that the surgeries were conducted during the Ministry of Health and Child Care (MoHCC) surgical camp held between 20–24 March, 2023.
The surgical camp was conducted by MoHCC with technical and financial support from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Celebration Health, Smile Train and the United Nations Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
A hernia occurs when an organ or tissue in the body such as a loop of the intestine pushes through a weakened area in the abdominal wall.
This bulge, according to the WHO, is called hernia, which may look like a lump causing discomfort in children such as swelling of the abdomen and serve pain when it remains untreated.
It is understood that the two most common pediatric hernias in Zimbabwe are inguinal hernias in the groin area and umbilical hernias in the belly-button area.
Ngakudzwe Mwanditani is one of the 100 children between the ages of two and 12 that received free hernia repair.
His father, Nicholas Mwanditani, said Ngakudzwe was diagnosed with inguinal hernia when he was only four years old.
With no money to seek medical help, his father, who is a tiler, had no option but just pray so that his son would feel less pain.
‘As a father it really broke my heart as l watched my son in pain for years. l was hopeless most of the time, as a parent knowing l could not do anything’, a WHO report quoted him as saying.
‘The hernia repair surgery costs U.S.$500 and l could not afford it. As a tiler, I only make less than U.S.$50 a month’.
The surgical camp was led by Sally Mugabe Central Paediatric Surgeon, Dr Precious Mtambanengwe, whose team comprised of six anesthetists, three pediatric surgeons, six surgical nurses and 24 registered nurses.
Source: WHO
Photo source: WHO
