University Teaching Hospitals (UTH), in partnership with American College of Surgeons, has successfully performed two kidney transplants, marking another milestone in Zambia’s growing capacity for advanced medical procedures.
National Co-ordinator for nephrology at the Ministry of Health Aggrey Mweemba, said the achievement represents both a life-saving intervention and a major cost-saving measure.
“Government spends between US$20,000 and US$25,000 (about K500,000) to send a single patient abroad for a kidney transplant.
By conducting the procedures locally, we are achieving substantial savings while building our own capacity,” Dr Mweemba explained.
The two surgeries bring the total number of local transplants performed this year to four, against an annual target of 20.
Dr Mweemba noted that Government signed a memorandum of understanding with the American College of Surgeons under a skills transfer programme aimed at enabling Zambian surgeons to perform transplants independently in the near future.
Kenneth Woodside, a transplant surgeon with the American College of Surgeons’ HOPE programme, confirmed that the operations were carried out successfully on Tuesday and Wednesday.
In one case, a nephew donated a kidney to his uncle; in the other, a woman donated to her husband.
Both donors and recipients have been discharged and are responding well to treatment.
“While dialysis remains an alternative, a kidney transplant offers patients a better quality and longer duration of life,” Dr Woodside said, adding that Zambia is emerging as one of Africa’s leaders in transplantation.
Amy Lu, another surgeon involved in the initiative, emphasised the long-term vision: “It’s not just us coming and doing the surgeries and leaving.
We are building a process so that the government and the hospital can become self-sufficient.
That is what intrigued me and made me want to volunteer my time for this type of development.”
ZANIS Tv
