Dozens of aging patients in Uganda are stuck with a daily intake of painkillers due to pending knee replacement surgeries.
The cost of knee replacement surgery in Uganda is around 20 million Shillings, which is out of reach for many people. The hospital does not charge for the service, but patients need to buy implants and other sundries, which hikes the cost.
A week-long surgical camp was held at Mulago Hospital, where 23 patients received free knee replacement surgeries. The surgeries were possible thanks to a donation of implants from a US-based philanthropy.
Experts at the hospital worry that the number of people needing knee replacement surgery is likely to increase as more Ugandans live longer into old age. They recommend that people keep a healthy weight, exercise often, and eat healthily to help prevent the need for surgery.
Speaking during a news conference on the sidelines of a free surgical camp that ends on Friday, Dr. Alex Bangirana an orthopedic surgeon in Mulago Hospital said they receive between twenty to thirty patients at their weekly clinic noting that the majority of these have long been lined up for surgery but they still can’t access this care because of cost.
In addition ,he said that the camp was a great opportunity for patients who would not have been able to afford surgery otherwise.
Bangirana says, though the hospital does not charge for the service, patients need to buy implants and other sundries which hikes the cost of surgery to 20 million Shillings.
He says an implant needed for knee replacement alone costs about seven million Shillings whereas for an arthroscopic surgery which is usually done on younger patients with broken ligaments, implants alone cost about six million Shillings.
However, at the week-long surgical camp, a total of twenty-three patients received care but doctors say some of the beneficiaries have waited for ten or more years to chance on surgery.
According to Dr John Ssekabira, the Ag. Deputy Director of Mulago Hospital, these surgeries could only be done because of a donation of implants provided by a US-based philanthropy.
The medical camp was a success and it is hoped that it will be held again in the future. Experts at Mulago Hospital worry that the number of people needing knee replacement surgery is likely to increase as more Ugandans live longer into old age. They recommend that people keep a healthy weight, exercise often, and eat healthily to help prevent the need for surgery.
Unfortunately, there is nothing much that can be done to save sufferers from this degenerative disease involving wear and tear of joints that comes with aging, as Dr Nobert Orwotho who heads surgery at the hospital explains.
As a solution not to degenerate faster, however, doctors recommend for individuals keep a healthy weight, exercise often, and eat healthily. They say the heavier the person, the faster the tear and wear of the joint.