Life-changing surgeries at provincial hospital
VICTORIA Chitepo Provincial Hospital last week conducted 20 successful hernia operations in a healthcare milestone that put smiles on the faces of long-suffering patients’ resource-poor parents, who had resigned to watching helplessly as their children endured excruciating pain.
The parents, whose children successfully went under the knife during a two-day hernia camp last week, were drawn from the most remote parts of the province.
The heartening initiative — which offered free surgical and medical care to needy children from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds in the province — was made possible by the Ministry of Health and Child Care in partnership with Celebration Health.
The programme mainly targeted those from poor backgrounds aged between two and 12, with the exception of emergency cases of those under two years.
Hernia occurs when the tissue, such as part of the intestine, protrudes through a weak spot in the abdominal muscles.
The resultant bulge can be painful, especially when one coughs, bends over or lifts a heavy object, and can be repaired through a common surgical procedure to prevent it from leading to life-threatening complications.
Apart from being painful, hernia can also cause patients to vomit and not tolerate food.
Such a surgical procedure costs between US$700 and US$1 000, which the beneficiaries’ parents and guardians could not afford, given their humble backgrounds.
Among the beneficiaries were three-yearold twins — Mukundi and Nashe Makoni — whose parents travelled all the way from Tanda, in Makoni North for their free surgical procedures.
Their mother, Mrs Victoria Makoni, who had been overwhelmed by the twin siblings’ life-threatening condition over the last three years, at last heaved a sigh of relief.
Having resigned to watching her two children suffer periodic bouts of excruciating pain, Mrs Makoni was unsure of where to turn to for help.
However, it took the two-day hernia camp at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital for her prayers to be answered in ways she had not expected.
Both children successfully went under the knife, much to her relief and excitement.
“I gave birth to my twin children through ◆
a Caesarean section at Rusape General Hospital, and since then they have been sickly.
“I was referred to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital where they were diagnosed with hernia, but they could not be operated on since they were too young,” she said.
Mrs Makoni said they spent the last two years trying to raise US$1 500 for surgical fees without success.
“I waited until they were aged two, but then I was advised that the costs for the surgical operation ranges between US$800 and US$1 000, which I could not afford. Eventually, the doctors remembered and picked us from their waiting list to benefit under this free hernia camp.
“I am so grateful that my children are finally free from the pain they have been enduring all this time.
“They have always been sickly, and it was painful to just watch them endure the pain without being able to help them.
“This day has offered me so much relief; the desire of my heart has been granted,” she said.
Another parent, Mrs Tendai Gusha, travelled more than 250km from Kondo in Chipinge to Mutare to enable her grandson — Artwell Mlambo — to get free surgery.
Ironically, Artwell was supposed to have gone under the knife in November 2023 at the provincial referral hospital, but they failed to make it after the octogenarian woman failed to raise transport fare for the two.
“I begged them to keep us on the waiting list as I looked for the transport fare, and luckily they heard my plea, and I was called and made it this time around,” she said.
Mrs Gusha said she was elated that her grandson was finally operated on after a three-year wait post diagnosis.
Another parent, Ms Florence Muusha of Chakohwa in Chimanimani was all joy after her 11-year-old son benefited from the free surgery.
Ms Muusha said she feared for the worst as her son’s condition worsened with age.
The surgical procedures were conducted by a team of skilled medical professionals.
In an interview, sister-in-charge for Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital’s Family Child Health Department, Mrs Pelagia Nyamarebvu said the two-day hernia camp helped address healthcare disparities and improved access to essential services by the vulnerable.
“Every child deserves a chance to live a healthy and fulfilling life regardless of their economic circumstances, which is why as a hospital we have a waiting list of children who have hernia.
“Each time we get a chance or funders we implement the programme, giving first priority to patients from poor and disadvantaged backgrounds,” she said.
Mrs Nyamarebvu said they had initially targeted to attend to 25 children, but ended up assisting 20 of them.
“We had scheduled to attend to 25 children, but had to leave out three children as they had chest problems and were unfit to undergo the surgical procedure.
They will be scheduled for next month. The other two unfortunately absconded, and resultantly the camp benefited 20 children.
“Last year we had an enormous hernia camp at the hospital as patients were coming from across the country.
“Not everyone was operated then; so we are using that waiting list to pick the next beneficiaries of the programme but, of course, the first priority is given to children from Manicaland,” she said.
In March, the hospital had another camp during which 10 children were operated on.
In 2023 more than 100 children received free hernia surgical operations at the referral hospital courtesy of a partnership between the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Celebration Health, World Health Organisation and