C-Care, Uganda, the largest private healthcare provider in Uganda, yesterday kicked off a spine surgery camp that will benefit victims of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries (TSCI) through consultations with orthopedic experts, operations and pain management techniques.
The camp will run for 6 days; from Monday, 19th February 2024 until Saturday 24th February 2024 and is expected to reach 200 individuals living in East Africa in need of surgeries, and consultations.
The camp which is organized by C-Care Uganda, is aimed at extending tailored solutions to different spine problems like chronic back pains, neurological symptoms and other spinal conditions, and will be hosted at C-Care IHK in Namuwongo Kampala.
Officiating the start of the camp, the General Manager, C-Care Uganda, Dr. Miriam Mutero extended her sincere gratitude to the team of specialists that will be participating in the 6-day camp and wished them the best of luck.
Dr. Mutero said, “The effects of Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries are life-changing, and most people never fully recover from them, living a life of pain and disability. I am glad that we are able to assist reduce the pain to a certain extent. We strive to make a positive change in the health of those around us. We have carried out many life changing camps over the years, and the numbers that always turn up for these camps shows that we are doing something right. That is all the encouragement we need to continue creating awareness around the health issues that are most likely to be brushed off.
Dr. Mutero called upon the Ministry of Health to create awareness around spine and neural health, in order to extend to as many Ugandans as possible timely and accessible help needed whenever the need arises.
“My humble plea to the government of Uganda is to create a space that pushes for awareness on issues like spine and neural health, which are rarely talked about or completely ignored, yet are part of the central nervous system, the major body pivot,” she concluded.
Dr. Kenneth Nyombi, the orthopedic specialist spearheading the camp appreciated the initiative by C-Care and all the staff taking part in the camp. He encouraged people to continuously carry out regular checkups and to never ignore any signs of ill health, in the hopes that they will fade away with time.
Dr Nyombi explained, “the spine is one of the most important and delicate parts of our body, on which so much of what we do depends. It controls our motio, and if not well taken care of, one is bound to face very serious complications that will change the rest of their lives.
“It is important for you as an individual to listen to what your body is telling you because while early detection of any disease doesn’t guarantee 100% treatment, it increases the chances pf survival,” he concluded.
Spinal cord complications result from among others, accidents which may fracture or bring about dislocation, trauma, infections that have not been treated on time, the rheumatic disease arthritis and even cancer.
On many occasions the signs and symptoms may be ignored and simply brushed off due to innocent ignorance or one claiming to simply having no time and that is C-Care organized a camp to bring these crucial and important services close to people so as to promote good health.
World Health Organization statistic show that between 250,000 and 500,000 people suffer a spinal cord injury every year. The statistics further state that the majority of spinal cord injuries are due to preventable causes such as road traffic crashes, falls or violence.
