DAR ES SALAAM: A total of 25 women and girls from various regions across the country have received free plastic surgery as part of the ninth phase of a body reconstruction program, which began on November 29, 2024 in Dar es Salaam.
The surgery, carried out by Aga Khan Hospital in collaboration with Reconstruction Women International (RWI) and Muhimbili National Hospital, concluded on Friday.
Dr. Athar Ali, Head of Surgery unit at Aga Khan Hospital, shared that the initiative has successfully restored smiles and improved the lives of women and girls who have faced physical challenges such as mobility impairments, burn injuries, gender-based violence, and disabilities resulting from accidents.
“This program has been made possible with the expertise of specialist doctors from RWI, the U.S., Canada, and Europe, working alongside teams from Aga Khan, Muhimbili, Bugando, and Mnazimmoja hospitals in Zanzibar,” he stated.
He further added that since the program’s launch in 2016, over 300 women and girls have benefited.
Dr. Andrea Pusic, a renowned plastic surgeon and leader of RWI in the U.S., emphasized that the goal of the program is to help women and girls regain physical functionality and dignity, recognizing their role in contributing to both the economy and their families.
“This is the ninth year of our successful partnership. We’ve not only improved their physical abilities and appearance, but we’ve also been providing training to doctors, enabling them to perform these life-changing surgeries,” Dr. Pusic explained.
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On his part Dr. Aidan Njau, a specialist surgeon at Aga Khan Hospital, revealed that while the program initially served only patients from Dar es Salaam, it now reaches women and girls from all over the country.
He further outline that the focus is on those with the most severe cases.
Dr. Edwin Mrema, a body reconstruction specialist at Muhimbili National Hospital, shared that when the program began, there were no specialized surgeons in this field in Tanzania.
However, thanks to the collaboration with the government and various training programs including those at the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences nine surgeons have now been trained, with plans for more specialists to be trained annually.
In a show of international solidarity, the Pakistan Women’s Wing, under the Pakistan Health Association, has contributed 10.1mil/- to support the program’s efforts.
