Chronicle Editor
Raymond Jaravaza, [email protected]
IMAGINE living with a persistent medical condition that causes you unbearable pain for over a decade. Imagine the feeling of helplessness and hopelessness that comes with it.
This was the reality for Chenjerai Mugudi, a mother of two who suffered from a hip ailment for 12 years.
But the gift of walking has been restored to her in Bulawayo, thanks to a team of orthopaedics led by Dr Jabulile Mthethwa.
Mugudi’s doctor had informed her that she had a dislocated hip that required surgery. The only problem was the exorbitant cost of the procedure. A hip replacement in India would have cost her US$12 000, while local private medical facilities charged similarly exorbitant fees. However, she found hope when Dr Mthethwa and his team began performing hip replacement procedures at the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH).
Mugudi paid only US$1 900 for the procedure at UBH, significantly cheaper than the costs she would have incurred elsewhere. Her successful surgery brought her immense joy, as she looked forward to playing with her children in the garden and park without experiencing excruciating pain.
“I still can’t believe it,” she said. “After 12 years of suffering with a hip problem that caused me a lot of pain, I can now finally run around and play with my kids in the garden and the park. The feeling is just awesome, I can’t put it into words.”
For Freddy Ncube, a 78-year-old who had battled a hip problem for over four years, the team of orthopaedics at UBH were God-sent. He is now looking forward to herding his cattle and goats without struggling to walk.
“Moving about in my homestead in Jambezi had become a struggle and when I heard about these doctors in Bulawayo and I told my children that I want to do the procedure. I underwent the surgery yesterday (Thursday) and the doctors are saying that I’m recovering very well.
“It’s the small things in life that we take for granted. I could no longer walk to the grazing areas to collect my livestock because of the pain I endured for the last four years. I came here (UBH) on 4 April and finally the doctors took me to the theatre room yesterday (Thursday),” added Ncube.
Dr Mthethwa, who returned to Zimbabwe after 16 years in Scotland, is leading the team of orthopaedics at UBH. He has already performed the procedure on four patients, with 24 registered to undergo the surgery. Seeing the smile of a happy patient after a hip replacement procedure is a feeling that Dr Mthethwa can’t explain.
“We have been here for the last six weeks and already 24 patients have registered to undergo the procedure. No one deserves to be crippled as a result of a medical condition that an able team of local doctors here at UBH can fix.
“This is a mentorship programme where I’m sharing the expertise from my years in Scotland as an orthopaedic with local doctors. So far four patients have been operated and we looking at 10 more in the coming days, said Dr Mthethwa.
Bulawayo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution, Judith Ncube, expressed excitement about the new service, which will change the lives of many people at a reasonable fee compared to medical facilities overseas.
“I am excited on behalf of the people of Bulawayo and the region as a whole that we now have a service that will assist so many people at a relatively reasonable price that is way cheaper than in medical facilities overseas.
“I can imagine an old man or woman suffering from a hip problem having to ask their grandchild to help them walk to the bathroom. It’s not dignified. Now such people can get help at a public hospital where the charges are much cheaper.
“I would like to thank Dr Mthethwa and his team for such a sterling job and may God continue to bless them for the work that they do,” said Minister Ncube.
The gift of walking is indeed priceless, and the joy it brings to patients who have been living in pain for years cannot be measured. The work of Dr Mthethwa and his team is a testament to the difference that medical professionals can make in people’s lives.
Online Reporter