Male fistula case at Thyolo hospital
- Medical camp to save Malawi government K300 million
The East, Central and Southern African Health Community (ECSA-HC) medical/surgical camp which starts Monday at Thyolo hospital has created a twist to the story of fistula disease as a female-only ailment with a male case scheduled for surgery.
A group of some 32 medics from the ECSA-HC is in the country to help poor Malawians who would otherwise not access specialist treatment.
The medics have confirmed one patient (name withheld), would undergo surgery to for fistula.
According to team leader Professor Christopher Samukenge of Zimbabwe, the surgical camp in Thyolo is expected to assist more than 140 patients with different conditions from urinary problems, gynecological defects, orthopedic (bone problems) and general surgeries.
Minister of Health Dr. Jean Kaliranisaid the camp is a huge saving on medical bills the government would have otherwise incurred had it referred the 149 patients to mainly South Africa where Malawi sends most of its patients in need of specialized medical care.
“This event will therefore bring together local and foreign specialists doctors from East and central Africa comprising physicians, cardiovascular and orthopedic surgeons, anesthetists, obstetricians, gynecologists, urologists, physiotherapists and other medical care personnel. These specialist doctors will offer specialized surgical and medical care to patients,” she said.
Malawi, with a population of about 15 million people, has a doctor patient ratio of about 1:10 000 and a much lesser population of specialised surgeons. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends the ratio of one doctor to 1 000 patients.
Samukange said the medical camp which started in 2012 is an initiative o African doctors to help fellow Africans in need of specialised treatment.
“It also showcases the specialists we have in the region,” he said.
The ECSA-HC medical camp was first conducted in Lesotho in 2012 and last year, Swaziland was second to benefit.
The purpose of the camp is to promote South to South cooperation, but more importantly, this “will offer free specialized medical and surgical services to needy patients, thereby contributing to the alleviation of the existing disease burden at individual, family, community and national level.”
The camp will also provide the highest possible level of medical and surgical care to patients that would otherwise have been referred to foreign hospitals and provide continuous medical education (CME) to health care workers.
It will also teach basic surgical and clinical management skills to Malawian health care workers possessing no specialized surgical training, but who may be required to provide surgical services in their hospitals.
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Where is the news about the fistula male patient? nothing about him has been written. We want to know what caused it and how. You’ve only talked about the doctors but what about the male fistula patient. We didn’t know that men can also suffer from fistula. post more info on the case please
Why not at a central hospital. Malawian organizers want to protect their jobs perhaps
Male fistula patient/arrival of African specialist doctors,saving money/assisting the sick.okay?
Every time and the government has no money.no money nomoney nomoney song,why, how, who,which.mmxxx
Why Thyolo only????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
HOW DID THE MALE FISTULA PATIENT GET INTO THIS CONDITION ?
I feel most of these doctors will be doing their first experiments on Malawians after having done it in Lesotho. Experiments!
I am privy to information about this programme and the doctors involved. These are highly qualified and experienced doctors from neighboring countries, the same quality that you would get when you are referred to South Africa. They are thoroughly vetted by the Medical Council of Malawi before they are allowed to come and work here. They are not here for ‘experiments’ as you suspect. The fact that they are providing free health care does not mean that they are under qualified, neither are the services sub standard. This is a form of ‘charity’ where the doctors spare one week in… Read more »
Do you have facts of your claims Mbanangwa? Lets learn to appreciate the good that others do. People are suffering with chronicle diseases in the villages and even towns. What have we done (you and me)? Even if its experiment, someone’s suffering shall be reduced.
Anadya zotsilika.
Please stop telling us that the government has saved so much on A, saved a lot on B and so on. That is your job and just carry on with it. Rather than just rejoicing that the sick are being assisted by volunteers and give all the credit to them, you are busy trumpeting about saving this and that. It is becoming annoying to some of us because we do not see the benefits of those so-called savings. We are still financially crippled and life is becoming unbearably expensive.
you are right brother. Where is money which has been saved we are tired with nosense and false promise