It
has been revealed that Tanzania is currently facing shortage of
Neurosurgeons and neurosurgical centres to attend the neurological
cases.
Speaking at the opening of a two day World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Education Course held in Dar es Salaam yesterday, President Kikwete said that the current situation needs an immediate intervention.
In a speech read on his behalf by the deputy minister for Health and Social Welfare Dr Seif Rashid, President Kikwete said: “The country is at its infancy stage. It has only five neurosurgeons for the population of over 44 millions people, comparing to Chile which has 10 neurosurgeons per 1,000,000 populations.
Neurosurgery (or neurological surgery) is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.
Kikwete said when Tanzania has only five neuros; Japan has 10,000 neurosurgeons per 150 million people.
He said worse while, there is only one neuro-surgical centre at Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI), which was established in 1996,” he said.
According to the President, Neurosurgery is one of the most dynamic fields with all scientific and technological medical advances that have contributed significantly to reducing unnecessary mobility and mortality caused by unattended neurological cases in the world.
Kikwete further stated though it was evident that investing in neurosurgery was worth doing, the cost implication is significantly high, considering the cost for training healthcare professionals and established the appropriate infrastructure.
However, he declared that ever since its establishment, MOI has been equipped with advanced equipments including CT scan and imaging equipments. Also the government engaged itself in an expansion programme that will increase significantly neurosurgical services in the country, and the progamme has invested in MOI.
In the first year of MOI’s existence only 100 brain surgery were operated; 1n 2012, about 500 cases were operated; in 2006, seven spine stabilisations were operated while in 2012, 75 spine stabilisations were operated, which is more than 10 times increase in spine operations (2006-1012), which is quite an encouraging improvement.
In anticipation of increasing service and demand, Kikwete said: “We are embarking on serious training of neurosurgeons.”
That is why “I have said and I say it again that it is high time the Master of medicine (MMed) programme should start at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) without further delays. What I would like to hear is that candidates have been enrolled in the course.”
Kikwete said his government will provide all the supportive necessities to ensure the programme materialises; the aim is to have at least 15 neurosurgeons and more neurosurgical centres in the country in order to attend the patients within the country instead of taking them to foreign hospitals.
On his part, MOI Head-Neurosurgery, Prof Joseph Kahamba said despite the poor working conditions, they have managed to reduce the number of referral neurosurgical cases referred to hospitals in abroad as it was in the previous from 40 cases between 2010 and 2012 to only 20 cases.
“Our centre has been receiving many patients compared to its capacity, one surgeon has been attending at least 80 patients per day, despite the fact that we are few but everyday we operate 60 patients with different brain cases including people with head injuries after involving in fatal accidents,” he said.
For his part, MOI executive director Prof Lawrence Museru said currently the centre receives at least between 100 and 150 out patients and admits at least 20 patients, whereas eight out of 20 patients undergo neurosurgical operation.
The workshop has drawn participants from Japan, Republic of Korea, India, USA, Italy, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Jordan, Brazil, Pakistan and other countries from East, Central and Southern African Regions (ECSA regions) and Tanzania.
The objective of the training is to increase the capacity of healthcare professionals to manage a wide range of neurological cases and complications.
To help to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by lack of an equitable access to specialised neurosurgical services caused by inadequate number of specialised neurosurgeons.
Speaking at the opening of a two day World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) Education Course held in Dar es Salaam yesterday, President Kikwete said that the current situation needs an immediate intervention.
In a speech read on his behalf by the deputy minister for Health and Social Welfare Dr Seif Rashid, President Kikwete said: “The country is at its infancy stage. It has only five neurosurgeons for the population of over 44 millions people, comparing to Chile which has 10 neurosurgeons per 1,000,000 populations.
Dr Seif Rashid, Deputy minister for Health and Social Welfare
Neurosurgery (or neurological surgery) is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of disorders which affect any portion of the nervous system including the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and extra-cranial cerebrovascular system.
Kikwete said when Tanzania has only five neuros; Japan has 10,000 neurosurgeons per 150 million people.
He said worse while, there is only one neuro-surgical centre at Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI), which was established in 1996,” he said.
According to the President, Neurosurgery is one of the most dynamic fields with all scientific and technological medical advances that have contributed significantly to reducing unnecessary mobility and mortality caused by unattended neurological cases in the world.
Kikwete further stated though it was evident that investing in neurosurgery was worth doing, the cost implication is significantly high, considering the cost for training healthcare professionals and established the appropriate infrastructure.
However, he declared that ever since its establishment, MOI has been equipped with advanced equipments including CT scan and imaging equipments. Also the government engaged itself in an expansion programme that will increase significantly neurosurgical services in the country, and the progamme has invested in MOI.
In the first year of MOI’s existence only 100 brain surgery were operated; 1n 2012, about 500 cases were operated; in 2006, seven spine stabilisations were operated while in 2012, 75 spine stabilisations were operated, which is more than 10 times increase in spine operations (2006-1012), which is quite an encouraging improvement.
In anticipation of increasing service and demand, Kikwete said: “We are embarking on serious training of neurosurgeons.”
That is why “I have said and I say it again that it is high time the Master of medicine (MMed) programme should start at Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) without further delays. What I would like to hear is that candidates have been enrolled in the course.”
Kikwete said his government will provide all the supportive necessities to ensure the programme materialises; the aim is to have at least 15 neurosurgeons and more neurosurgical centres in the country in order to attend the patients within the country instead of taking them to foreign hospitals.
On his part, MOI Head-Neurosurgery, Prof Joseph Kahamba said despite the poor working conditions, they have managed to reduce the number of referral neurosurgical cases referred to hospitals in abroad as it was in the previous from 40 cases between 2010 and 2012 to only 20 cases.
“Our centre has been receiving many patients compared to its capacity, one surgeon has been attending at least 80 patients per day, despite the fact that we are few but everyday we operate 60 patients with different brain cases including people with head injuries after involving in fatal accidents,” he said.
For his part, MOI executive director Prof Lawrence Museru said currently the centre receives at least between 100 and 150 out patients and admits at least 20 patients, whereas eight out of 20 patients undergo neurosurgical operation.
The workshop has drawn participants from Japan, Republic of Korea, India, USA, Italy, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Zambia, Uganda, Jordan, Brazil, Pakistan and other countries from East, Central and Southern African Regions (ECSA regions) and Tanzania.
The objective of the training is to increase the capacity of healthcare professionals to manage a wide range of neurological cases and complications.
To help to reduce morbidity and mortality caused by lack of an equitable access to specialised neurosurgical services caused by inadequate number of specialised neurosurgeons.
SOURCE:
THE GUARDIAN
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