At least 125 children will this week benefit from the free tonsillectomy surgical camp being conducted at Sally Mugabe Central Hospital in line with the Government’s thrust of improving access to health care for all citizens.
A tonsillectomy is a procedure to remove the tonsils, usually performed when tonsillitis occurs frequently, doesn’t respond to other treatments or causes serious complications.
The surgical camp, which is being supported by the Government of Zimbabwe, the Government of Japan and the World Health Organisation is targeting children between the ages of one to 12 years.
Speaking to the Herald after the screening on Monday, Ear Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist Dr Ruvimbo Nzvenge said the camp was aimed at clearing the backlog of patients with air obstructions that had accumulated owing to the overwhelming number of cases of children in Zimbabwe in need of surgeries and the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are targeting to deal with 25 cases per day over the five days. Initially we had targeted about 100 cases but due to the overwhelming response of patients from far and wide who cannot go back, we have extended our numbers to cover 125 cases. We are sure that we are going to cover those 125 cases but our backlog is more than 200 cases so we actually need another camp or to increase our capacity to operate on these children,” he said.
Dr Nzvenge said although tonsil infection had no associated family history or inheritance pattern, children with obstructive symptoms were at great risk if they did not receive the surgery.
She said if left untreated, some children could experience breathing problems which may lead to feeding challenges and these children will struggle with weight gain.
“There are many problems that can happen due to untreated tonsillitis. Some children have problems with growth because their heart or cardiac system will be using more effort to pump blood around the heart so they may end up with heart problems. Others have problems with sleeping and they will have disturbed sleep patterns, hence poor concentration during the day and poor school performance due to the inadequacy of oxygen supply to the brain,” she said.
She encouraged parents to seek medical attention if their children snore, have recurrent sore throats or flues or stop breathing at night.
Parents who had brought their children for screening and surgery expressed their gratitude at having access to the procedure for free.
Gogo Anne Murinda from Chiredzi said her granddaughter had suffered from tonsillitis for a long time and she was having trouble breathing.
“Her tonsils have become so inflamed that she cannot breathe properly. The doctor had advised us to look for about US$800 for her to get the procedure done in private institutions but we could not afford that. I am grateful that she will now get a chance to have the operation for free and she can live a normal life,” she said.
Another mother, Ms Sandra Choga from Mutasa DC said the programme was good as it was helping the vulnerable who could not afford to pay for the operation.
For Ms Prisca Murimirambeva from Trilone in Banket, who has three children with tonsillitis, two of whom were operated on.
“All my children have the problem and it has been difficult caring for them. The youngest is 10 months old and has already had the surgery. I started coming to Sally Mugabe Hospital with my second son who is now four years old, when he was seven months old but I could not get a booking for surgery until I was told about this camp. He would sometimes just stop breathing and I would always wonder what would become of him. I am relieved that they have been operated on and they are now breathing easily,” she said.
However, Ms Murimirambeva’s eldest, who is nine years old, has not had the chance to get screened for the surgery.
She could not afford to pay for transport for someone to help her carry all three children to Harare.
“My child is nine years old and has Downs Syndrome and also suffers from tonsillitis. I could not bring all of them here because I had no way of carrying them so I had to leave the older one home. He spends the whole night sitting because he cannot breathe properly if he lays down so I am hoping he can get help as well,” she said.
Consultant anaesthetist Dr Shingai Nyaguse said the programme was part of a broader Ministry of Health’s National Surgical, Obstetric and Anesthesia strategy which is part of the overall National Health Strategy.
The strategy emphasises surgical care and surgical service delivery which, she said, was a neglected area in curative services.
“As a developing country, for a long time the focus was on HIV, Malaria and TB which are a huge burden of disease and resources were given mainly to those diseases. But at the same time, our burden of surgical disease has continued to increase and because it is not a single disease entity, it has been difficult to target surgical service, so in that respect it has been neglected,” she said.
Source Zimbabwe Situation
