Free reconstructive surgery performed on women patients
What you need to know:
- The surgery sought to restore physical function and enhance the quality of life of women and girls in the country.
Dar es Salaam. The Aga Khan Hospital, Dar es Salaam, in collaboration with Reconstructing Women International (RWI) and Muhimbili National Hospitals (MNH), has successfully performed free plastic and reconstructive surgery on 23 women across the country.
A consultant surgeon at the Aga Khan Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Dr Aidan Njau, said on Wednesday that the surgery sought to restore physical function and enhance the quality of life of women and girls in the country.
“In doing so, these women are empowered to build their self-confidence and become productive members of their families and communities,” he said.
According to him, many women and girls are subjected to various serious harms, such as being burned by their spouses and relatives, which causes the majority of them to lose confidence; thus, the program has aided in body restoration. He added that since the programme started in 2016, 218 women and girls have benefited from it.
Dr Njau said that the surgery, led by a team of plastic surgeons from the United States, Canada, and Europe, worked closely with Tanzanian medical professionals to build local capacity for plastic reconstructive surgery.
MNH’s head of reconstructive and plastic surgery, Dr Edwin Mrema, said he was happy to help those who were most injured and did not know where to go.
“We give them an opportunity to receive help. It is also a fantastic opportunity for us in Tanzania to bring in experts from other countries to assist us with patient care, medical equipment, and medical suppliers for those procedures.” “We built capacity for our fellow surgeons and nurses, and we made the whole thing free,” he explained.
