By KT Reporter
Medical personnel in Lango sub-region have raised alarm over the increasing cases of malformations among children born at various health facilities in the area. Malformations, also known as birth defects, are structural abnormalities that occur during prenatal development, resulting in physical or functional differences present at birth.
These range from minor to severe and may affect various parts of the body. Some of the common cases reported include gastroschisis, hydrocephalus, cleft palate/lip, anorectal malformation (absence of anal opening), pediatric hernia, spina bifida, pediatric urology complications, and limb anomalies, among others.
From 2024 to mid-July 2025, Lira Regional Referral Hospital (LRRH) conducted 1,177 life-saving surgeries on children with malformations. Of these, 524 were performed during a pediatric surgery camp in 2024, 319 during routine elective procedures, 202 as minor operations, and 132 were emergency cases.
Recently, while commissioning the newly rehabilitated theater at the hospital, Health Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng Ocer acknowledged the hospital’s remarkable efforts:
Dr. Andrew Odur, the Acting Director of LRRH, expressed deep concern over the increasing number of children born with abnormalities:
He attributed the high prevalence partly to poor health-seeking behaviors among expectant mothers:
Dr. Odur also pointed to additional factors:
He called for proactive measures, especially quality antenatal and preconception care, to reduce the burden: “It’s something that the clinical people need to sit down and provide an answer to the community. not only to be ready to repair them, but we must also prevent. And of course, one of them is that we need a quality antenatal care process, including preconception planning. this must be dealt with squarely so that we reduce this burden.”
Hospital statistics show that each day, between 30 and 45 children are assessed for suspected malformations, with at least five undergoing corrective surgery. Dr. Charles Newton Odongo, a pediatric surgeon at LRRH, said the overwhelming number of cases influenced his decision to serve in the facility:
He appealed to pregnant and potential mothers to seek timely medical help, saying the surgeries involved are often demanding:
He further illustrated the long-term care some children require:“Some of them get problems with passing stool, some of them may fail to pass stool very well—they keep licking stool so we have to keep following them up, help them pass stool, wash their intestines and also support them psychologically because just imagine a child is passing poop from the belly.”
In 2024 alone, Lira Regional Referral Hospital registered 6,425 deliveries, of which 6,324 were live births. On average, the hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admits 80 babies every month, including those with congenital conditions.
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