Chronicle Editor
Patrick Chitumba, [email protected]
GWERU Provincial Hospital (GPH) has achieved a significant milestone, successfully performing over 300 surgeries between April and June demonstrating the hospital’s commitment to providing accessible and affordable healthcare services to the community, primarily serving patients from Midlands Province.
This was said by specialist orthopaedics and trauma surgeon at GPH, Dr Brian Paketh on Friday during the 30th anniversary of the Surgical Society of Zimbabwe.
The commemorations saw scores of patients receiving free specialised medical attention at GPH.
The commemoration comes on the backdrop of an upsurge in the number of specialist surgeons operating at GPH.
Nationally there has been a surge of specialist surgeons from 40 to over 300 representing an increase of more than 700 percent over the past 30 years.
It was a celebration with a difference as the association brought a team of medical experts to attend to some medical complications that have been referred to Bulawayo and Harare.
“Gweru Provincial Hospital is a referral centre for hospitals in the Midlands province including Gokwe North, Gokwe South, Kwekwe, Mvuma, Lower Gweru, Shurugwi, Zvishavane, Mberengwa and Silobela.
“Specialities at the hospital include general surgery, orthopaedic surgery, urology, dentistry, ophthalmology, medicine, paediatrics, psychiatry, gynaecology, and anaesthesia,” he said.
Dr Paketh said specialists at the hospital include general surgeons (two), orthopaedic surgeons (one), urologists (one), dentists (four), ophthalmologists (two), physicians (three), paediatricians (two), psychiatrists (one), gynaecologists (three) and anaesthetist (three).
In terms of orthopaedic surgery statistics, he said 34 major and 11 minor were conducted in April.
“In May we had 71 surgeries of which 50 were major and 12 minor. In June we had 35 of which 18 were major and 17 minor. Interesting cases done included laminectomy, total hip replacement, pelvic surgery and reconstruction surgery,” said Dr Paketh.
He said in terms of general surgery statistics, April saw a total of 68 procedures of which 38 were major operations and 30 minor.
“In May there were 61 cases broken down as 31 major and 30 minor. In June we had 51 cases of which 29 were major and 22 minor. Interesting cases included double bypass, triple bypass, thyroidectomy and mastectomy,” said Dr Paketh.
He said Urology surgery statistics were 38 between April and June adding that interesting cases include radical nephrectomy, nephrolithotomy and hypospadias repair.
One of the happy clients was Mrs Marvelous Sibanda whose son had been referred to Bulawayo for a procedure said:
“My son has hypospadias, I am happy that he has since received an operation and is now recovering well. I am just a poor woman from Shurugwi and my greatest fear was that my son was going to grow up with a disability. It is quite relieving that this is now a thing of the past.”
Surgical Society of Zimbabwe’s president, Dr Wilfred Mutewei said the association is proud of its achievements over the years which have seen some critical surgeries now being performed locally.
“I am glad that we have managed to score some success stories over the years. Apart from facilitating more surgeons in the country, we have managed to make progress on some surgeries that would ordinarily require someone to travel overseas for such procedures. We have managed to do the separation of Siamese twins and successfully carried out cardiac surgery,” he said.
The recent strides in the health sector have seen Zimbabwe reducing medical tourism, thereby preserving the much-needed foreign currency.
Online Reporter