By WONDERBOY DLAMINI | 2024-05-07

 Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital has recorded in its history books the first ever procedure known as gastrocnemius recession and other procedures on four children with disabilities.

The four children who were initially diagnosed with cerebral palsy and clubfoot had severe joint contractures and deformities.

The operations to lengthen and straightening the hands and feet were performed last week at the hospital's theatre by a team of doctors from the United Kingdom (UK).

The team was invited to the country by one of the hospital's volunteer surgeons, Dr Joseph Northway. 

Explaining about the procedure, Dr Alex Aarvold, a visiting surgeon, said it was all about helping children with disabilities.

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"The surgeries were to help these children stand and perform tasks independently. We screened nine children, and operated on four of them," he said.

Aarvold expressed hope to help more children when his colleagues visit the hospital in the next two months.

 According to Fiona Northway, a volunteer physiotherapist, the children were from communities under Matsanjeni North Inkhundla.

The communities include Mambane, Tikhuba and Maphungwane.

Northway said the community disability workers of the Libumba Inclusion Initiative assisted in identifying and referring children with disabilities.

"Through word of mouth, the workers would inform community members about our services. Libumba offers community-based therapy where they can identify those who needed surgery," she said.

About the costs of the surgeries, Dr Gerald explained that it would be difficult to give an accurate estimate.

One of the reasons of not giving an exact amount, Dr Gerald said, was the scarcity of the skills to perform such surgeries in the country.

"We do not have pediatric orthopedic surgeons in the country. Most of these patients are not being attended because there are no such skills locally,” he said. Adding, he stated that some of the extreme cases were referred to South African hospitals. The bills were incurred by government through Phalala Fund. Dr Gerald pointed out that surgeons in the private practice charged above E100 000 per limb.

Pediatric orthopedic surgeons diagnosed, treated and managed the full range of musculoskeletal problems in children, including limb and spine deformities noted at birth or later in life.

Meanwhile, one of the parents, Ntombifuthi Mdlovu expressed her gratitude to Libumba and Good Shepherd Catholic Hospital for assisting them.

"We would not have been able to raise the money needed for such surgeries as we come from impoverished backgrounds," she said.

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Mdlovu disclosed that they had already spent a lot of money visiting hospitals to get physiotherapy.

She said her son would now be able to play with other children after the operation. The hospital's Chief Executive Officer Muzi Dlamini thanked the Libumba Inclusion Initiative for partnering with them. Dlamini assured that the institution would get more specialists to assist the people in their various needs.

"We understand that most of the people come from disadvantaged communities, hence the need to bring services to their doorsteps," he said.

Dlamini said the surgeries performed on the four children were not the last service to be offered.

He stated that there was a need to identify people with special needs. Other specialties offered at the hospital included; ear, nose and throat (ENT) care, eye, home-based care and palliative care, amongst others. 

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