Men with prostate issues have a reason to smile as Mkapa hospital goes high-tech
What you need to know:
Laparoscopic surgery is an operation that is conducted through small incisions with the aid of a special camera.
Dodoma. For men with prostate complications, there is a reason to smile as the Dodoma-based Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH) embarks on provision of laparoscopic surgical services.
The news, which might benefit a lot of men in the central regional and Tanzania at large, was announced in the capital city yesterday.
Laparoscopic surgery is an operation that is conducted through small incisions with the aid of a special camera.
The BMH managing director, Dr Alphonse Chandika, said here yesterday that the hospital was undertaking the laparoscopic surgical services on men who have prostate complications in partnership with some American medical experts.
“The aim is to ensure that Tanzanians can access specialised treatment within the country and save money that they would require to get such services outside the country,” he said.
The hospital is already applying the new surgical technique on women who have some abdominal complications and so far, a total of 20 women have been treated.
“After registering success with women, we are now going for the men. We will treat them in a more improved way than before…We inspect the patient and once it is established that there is a problem, we use the urinary track to treat the patient. This leaves him with no serious wounds to heal after the operation,” he said.
According to a gynaecologist, Dr Janirius Hinju, the laparoscopic surgical services have made it possible for patients to stay at the hospital for a short period after undergoing the operation.
“Patients, who were required to stay for one month before resuming their daily activities, now need only two weeks before they go back to work,” he said.
The minister for Health, Community Development, Elderly and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu, was recently quoted as saying that the government was planning to upgrade the BMH into a national hospital level.
Meanwhile, Dr Chandika said the BMH has received the government’s green light to employ a total of 119 people in order to meet the required number of staff.
