Specialists at MNH perform rare surgery

Dar es Salaam. Specialists at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH), in collaboration with a paediatric surgeon from King Faisal Hospital in Saudi Arabia, Prof Zacharia Habibu, yesterday for the first time performed a rare surgery on a child aged 10 from Unguja, Zanzibar, who was suffered from a serious condition whereby his lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) failed to open up during swallowing, the condition medically known as Achalasia, which necessitated surgical procedure. It is the first time for such a rare surgery to be performed in Tanzania. India and Saudi Arabia are among the few countries offering treatment for the disease.

Speaking to reporters yesterday, the MNH paediatric surgeon, Dr Zaitun Bokhary, said the operation took four hours. It involved only minor surgical procedures, hence the patient would take few days to recover. There had been at least five similar operations in children suffering from different complications by the end of this week. However, Dr Bokhary couldn’t reveal the cost of the surgery performed.

Moreover, Prof Habibu noted that the disorder caused the upper oesophageal muscles to become progressively weaker and cease to propel the food. Persons suffering from the disorder experience pain during swallowing, hence the food does not enter the stomach easily.

The mother, Ms Mtumwa Bilali, 54, yesterday told The Citizen in an exclusive interview that the findings at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Zanzibar showed her son was suffering from a serious condition that needed surgery. Therefore, they were transferred to the national hospital for further findings and treatment.