By KT Reporter
\Entebbe Children’s Hospital has introduced minimally invasive surgeries for children, made possible through the donation of laparoscopic equipment by an Italian family. Since the launch of the service, nine children have already benefited, with procedures offered free of charge to both Ugandan children and those referred from other countries.
Speaking at the launch of this service, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said while Uganda long started conducting laparoscopic surgeries in adults, this service had not yet been extended to children. She explained that its arrival is a milestone considering the benefits of such surgeries including small wounds that are easier to manage, minimal post-operative pain, and earlier discharge from the hospital.
With the new equipment, the hospital plans to conduct ten to fifteen surgeries of the organs of the reproductive system and the organs of the urinary system using this procedure each month which will be an addition to the open surgeries the 72-bed capacity facility has been conducting.
Ever since its launch in 2021, the hospital which offers completely free care has done 5000 surgical operations among both Ugandans and those referred from abroad. 145 of these are children from Afghanistan, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Somalia and South Sudan.
However, Aceng says these numbers are still too small considering the long waiting lists, which delays service to those who badly need it. She called upon donors to expand the service and pledged that the government is ready to give them more space for expansion.
On her part, Rossella Miccio, the President of Emergency said ten percent of all the children they handle come from abroad and that the idea was to have the people in Africa access the same standard of care as those from Europe since health is a fundamental human right.
Rosella revealed that the hospital is currently seeking accreditation with the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa to strengthen the training arm of the facility such that their surgeons receive international recognition. For now, she says, they will train local surgeons on how to use the just donated machine as they plan to stock more of such equipment. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
