By Staff Reporter
Ndola CNCS Hub
St. Dominic Mission Hospital in Ndola has conducted its first-ever maxillofacial surgeries (operations on the face, jaw and mouth) after opening its operating theatre to specialised dental patients during a dental camp held this year.
The hospital successfully managed three complex cases involving a Cemonto-Ossifying Fibroma of the right maxilla (a non-cancerous bone tumour in the upper jaw), a ranula of the sublingual salivary gland (a fluid-filled swelling under the tongue) and a pleomorphic adenoma of the submandibular salivary gland (a benign tumour under the lower jaw), signalling a breakthrough in specialised dental and surgical care on the Copperbelt.
Dental Surgeon and Provincial Oral Health Coordinator Dr. Nasilele Simushi said access to maxillofacial care in Zambia remained limited due to a shortage of specialists.
“Maxillofacial cases are not difficult to manage as per se. The issue is lack of specialised doctors in this field. As it stands, Zambia only has two oral and maxillofacial surgeons who are both based in Lusaka Province,” Dr. Nasilele said.
“This entails that all patients across the country are to be referred to Lusaka or have the doctors move around provinces to manage this particular case. This practice becomes very costly on the part of the patient and the hospitals,” she said.
Dr. Nasilele said the three surgeries conducted represented only a small portion of existing need in communities.
“These three cases are simply an iceberg in the ocean. Many patients suffer from oral cancers and other maxillofacial conditions but lack of awareness makes them stay home and try other remedies before landing into the hands of the doctors in a hospital,” she said.
And St. Dominic Mission Hospital Administrator Sr. Elizabeth Njovu said the dental camp benefited both hospital patients and surrounding communities.
“Several patients were treated for different findings. Those who came through for clinical intervention were 145, while those who received outreach services which focused on prevention were around 1,551,” Sr. Elizabeth said.
She said a team of both local and international doctors conducted a wide range of clinical treatments, including dental restorations and outreach programmes.
Sr. Elizabeth said the outreach services were conducted at Chisankano (Barefoot) Community School, Yengwe Combined School, Our Lady of Africa Community School, St. Thomas Community School and St. Anthony Children’s Home, where preventive and curative dental services were provided to pupils and residents.
She said the inclusion of theatre cases distinguished this year’s dental camp from previous ones.
“This year’s dental camp had expanded services. For the first time, the team conducted theatre cases, in addition to the usual restorative and prophylactic services,” Sr. Elizabeth said.
She said the theatre procedures were performed with the expertise of Dr. Roszkowski Mark Thomas, who was part of the specialist team.
Meanwhile, Dawson Kamau, one of the beneficiaries who underwent surgery, said the intervention ended a long wait for treatment.
“I have waited for 11 years to receive treatment of this kind,” Mr. Kamau said.
“This treatment has greatly changed my life. It has ignited my hope for a better life ahead of me.’’
And Children at Our Lady of Africa New Kaloko School also thanked the dental team from America and Zambia for the services rendered to the school and the surrounding community.
St. Dominic Mission Hospital is run by the Dominican Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and has been in existence since 1993. Since 2011, the hospital has partnered with American dentists under Wellness of Africa, a team led by Dr. Eric Grutner, to strengthen dental services.
