Online Reporter
Sunday Mail Reporter
IN an operating room at the Chitungwiza Central Hospital, a medical team recently performed a delicate act of modern magic.
With no scalpels to the head and no visible scars to show for it, they reached into the very centre of a patient’s brain and carefully removed a tumour — all through the nose.
This quiet, groundbreaking procedure marks the first of its kind at the hospital and stands as a powerful testament to the strides being made in Zimbabwe’s public healthcare.
Gone are the days when such complex neurosurgery always required opening the skull.
Instead, a skilled multidisciplinary team, led by chief neurosurgeon Dr Brighton Valentine Nyamapfene, used advanced German-made endoscopic equipment to navigate through the nasal passage with pinpoint accuracy.
“It is a coming together of minds for the common good of the people that makes work like this successful. We are thankful for the Government’s effort in affording us one of the best technologies supplied by Germany-based company Karl Storz, which allows us to access the centre of the brain with great clarity,” he said.
The surgery was conducted by a multidisciplinary team that also included ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialists Dr Naboth Matinhira from Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals and Dr Augustine Madimutsa, an anaesthesia group led by Dr Tafara Zhou and Dr Jonah Kasule, as well as a theatre team headed by scrub nurse Sister Milliet Wagoneka.
Hospital officials are beaming with pride, seeing this achievement as a direct fruit of focused investment in modern medical technology.
“We are happy that Chitungwiza Central Hospital continues to shine as we embrace NDS2 (National Development Strategy 2),” said the hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr Rafael Makota.
“Our good work is benefitting our people, and we are glad to share our neurosurgical experience with the rest of the world.”
The hospital’s neurosurgical excellence, he said, will be showcased on the global stage at the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies 2025 Dubai Congress, where youthful intern Dr Panashe Mangozhe will present their management of a clinoidal meningioma (a usually benign brain tumour growing on the part of the skull base near the eyes).
The successful procedure has been widely celebrated within the medical community as a symbol of growing confidence in Zimbabwe’s healthcare capabilities, demonstrating that complex, minimally invasive surgeries can now be performed locally using state-of-the-art equipment.
For the patient, the benefits are profound: a less invasive surgery, no external scarring and a promising road to recovery.
Waking up without a single head incision is the kind of medical marvel that changes
lives.
Tinaye Agere