Somalia: No orthopedic specialists for injured

  1. Posted on Friday 5 February 2010 - 08:56
    Muhyadin
    Muhyadin Ahmed Roble, AfricaNews reporter in Nairobi, Kenya Photo: Guled Hussein
    The main hospital in Mogadishu, the capital of war-torn Somalia, lacks orthopedic specialists required to treat the increasing number of patients losing their limbs as a result of insurgent attacks in the country. Hospital authorities said most of those awaiting treatment are young.
    Guled Hussein25
    "30 of them need specialized treatment that is not available in the country," Mohamed Yusuf, the director-general of Madina Hospital told IRIN news.

    Hundreds of patients have been unable to access orthopedic treatment since 2009 and only few can afford specialized treatment, Yusuf said. "98 percent of the patients are too poor," he said.

    He said 95 percent of the wounded people treated in Madina hospital were victims of gunshots and missiles shelling.

    45 percent have limb injuries; 9 percent have chest wounds, 8 percent head injuries and 8 percent stomach injuries, according to Yusuf.

    Broken bones

    He added: "We treat and sometimes operate on those with stomach wounds but injuries of the legs are problematic to treat here because we don't have an experienced orthopedic doctor to reconstruct broken bones.

    “The most difficult cases involve injuries where a bullet hit the bone, causing fragmentation. Reconstruction using special metal is required but at the moment we do not have a doctor specializing in this sector in the country."

    The International Committee of the Red Cross is the main provider and supplier of medicine for the hospital but only few foreign doctors from Qatar are working in the maternity sector of the hospital.

    The number of wounded children was also increasing. Yusuf said most of them were victims of artillery shelling.

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