No fewer than 1, 200 patients have benefitted from free herniorrhaphy (hernia surgery), Hydrocelectomy (hydrocele surgery) and excision of lumps in Dambatta and Dawakin Tofa local Government areas of Kano State.
The free services were rendered by the International College of Surgeons during a 4-Day rural outreach programme in commemoration of the 53rd Annual General meeting/Scientific Conference and Biennial Congress of the African Federation of International College of Surgeons, held in Kano.
In Dambatta, the Coordinator of the Outreach Programme in the local government, Dr Muzammil Abdullahi, a Urology consultant with Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital (AKTH), said, over 150 patients were screened out of which 81 were qualified for minor surgery.
“We are dealing with issues of hernia, hydrocoele and lumps. So, we are conducting herniorrhaphy (hernia surgery), Hydrocelectomy (hydrocele surgery) as well as excision of lumps. We are also giving free drugs to all the patients,” he said
Also, the Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area’s Coordinator of the programme, Dr Sadiq Hassan, said over 2,000 patients were screened out of which over 1000 were given drugs and eye glasses.
“We have screened more than 100 patients that need eye operation, but most of them have other co-morbidities like hypertension and diabetes, hence, we cannot conduct operation on them. Only 40 of them are qualified for the eye surgery,” he said.
A member of the local organizing committee of the annual conference, Professor Abdurrahman Abba Sheshe, said it was observed that due to economic hardship in the country, many patients tend to stay at home because they could not afford the treatment of their illnesses.
“So, we decided to bring these services to the rural areas to improve the wellbeing of the rural dwellers,” he said.
Prof Sheshe added that he was impressed with health infrastructures put in place by the Kano state government but decried the number of professional staffs especially in the general hospitals, which he said was grossly inadequate.
“The government need to put in more in the area of manpower development, the doctors, the nurses and other professionals needed to be able to offer the required services,” he added.
Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to Chronicle, expressed happiness over the magnanimity of the international college of surgeons.
Malam Muttaqa Ibrahim, who benefitted from hernia treatment, said he was happy for the treatment as he could not afford the cost of the operation but was lucky to receive it free of charge.
“I am grateful to the organizers of this programme and I want to call on government to come in and assist as there are many people like me who could not afford and can only wait to die with their problem,” he said.
Maryam Sunusi Fagwalawa, who brought her 3-months child, Ismail Sanusi, for the hernia operation also thanked the organizers for the gesture and pleaded for more assistance from the government in the area of healthcare for the masses.
Malam Idi Umaru, who benefitted from the eye surgery in Dambatta, said he had spent a lot of money for his eye problem over the years.
“I thanked the organizers for the free service and I pray for more healthy and peaceful living for all,” he added.
Other programmes of the week-long event were cocktail dinner, annual general meeting, scientific conference and the induction of new fellows as well as African Federations International College of Surgeons business meeting among others.
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