Free reconstructive plastic surgery starts in Tamale

A 27-member medical team from the Reconstructive Plastic Surgery and Burns Center of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, and their counterpart at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) has started free plastic surgery for people in the three northern regions.

The medical outreach, which is taking place at the TTH, would attend to medical conditions such as skin ulcer, scar revision, torn ear lobes caused by ear rings and hand injuries.

Others are burns, cleft lip and palate, pressure sores, elephantiasis and extra digits or fingers.

Speaking at a ceremony to start the programme, Dr Opoku W. Ampomah, Director of RPSBC, said the programme formed part of the Centers’ 15 years’ anniversary and added that there would be capacity building for health personnel in the region.

He said less privileged people found it difficult to finance the medical bills of such cases due to limited centers and the cost involved.

Dr Ken Sagoe, Chief Executive Officer of TTH, said the outreach would reduce the burden of people who could not assess such an essential service in the region.

“We always direct people with these conditions to centers in Kumasi and Accra. Many patients are not able to go and live with their conditions”, he said.

Dr Sagoe thanked the team and said TTH would form a strong partnership with RPSBC for frequent outreach programmes.**