The team of Chinese Medical doctors in Rwanda
The Chinese medical experts working in Rwanda say the Hernia could be a widespread illness that affects people in the community, a concern that calls for extensive research.
A hernia is a tear in a muscle or tissue that allows part of a person’s muscle to bulge out. It can be a bulge of an internal organ or someone’s intestines.
Patient can know about it after a longtime, depending on its location and size. The World Health Organization says some activities can cause hernia including lifting heavy objects.
The Chinese surgeons who reported about a rare illness(hernia) work at Masaka hospital, Kigali city and Kibungo hospital located in Ngoma district, Eastern province. They arrived in the country on 14 December 2020.
Explaining the hernia condition in the community, they said that about six people out of eight who report abdominal pain were diagnosed with the disease and treated.
“Hernia is the most reported illness. It affects both young and adults,” Dr. Wu Yao, Orthopedist and Head of the Chinese Medical doctors said.
A Chinese medical doctor showing a patient’s appreciation letter
“Causes include congenital condition which occurs during development in the womb and is present from birth, aging, damage from an injury or surgery, strenuous exercise or lifting heavy weights.”\
He said that hernia can be treated.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the symptoms for hernia are fever, excessive swelling and pain in the abdomen, urine retention and bleeding.
The Chinese doctors say the ailment doesn’t heal by itself, and if left untreated, can turn fatal after causingv gangrene (death of body tissue due to a lack of blood flow or a serious bacterial infection).
“Lifting heavy weight can also cause hernia, I see children lifting heavy containers of water and climbing hills, it is dangerous and can be one of the causes of the abdominal pain that could lead to hernia,” Yao said.
Dr. Chai Guo Dong said that about 180 patients have been diagnosed with hernia and operated.
“It causes serious pain if it is left untreated. It is a pretty serious disease. People should be informed about it to be able to deal with it,” Dr. Dong added.
WHO says Hernias are most common in the abdomen, but they can also appear in the upper thigh, belly button, and groin areas.
Inguinal, femoral and abdominal hernias were present in 18.5 million people and resulted in 59,800 deaths in 2015, according to WHO.
According to Dr. Ignace Nyaziyose, Head of Surgery department at Masaka hospital, the Chinese doctors are giving
“They are doing a great job; they help much in operating fractures and hernias and other diseases. One of the medical ethics is exchanging skills, and we have learnt a lot from them. But most importantly, they have saved lives,” Dr. Nyaziyose said.
L-R: Dr. Feng Kai and Dr. Wu Yao
According to China Embassy in Rwanda, the Chinese government has been sending medical doctors to Rwanda since 1982. China built health facilities including the $10 million Masaka Hospital.
The latter was constructed in 2008 and inaugurated in 2011.
This year, 14 local doctors and 10 interns were trained at Masaka, a hospital that receives 200 to 250 patients daily.
Still in the health sector, during Covid-19, Rwanda received 200,000 doses of Covid-19 Sinopharm vaccines donated by the Government of China-August 19, 2021.
At the handover ceremony, Dr Daniel Ngamije, Rwanda’s Minister of Health hailed this support.
“The Government of Rwanda is grateful for this important donation from the People’s Republic of China, and we are thrilled by this addition to our existing efforts to protect the maximum of Rwanda citizens and residents against Covid-19,” Dr. Ngamije said.
Rao Hongwei, Ambassador of China to Rwanda said that this year marks the 50th anniversary of China-Rwanda diplomatic ties, especially after presidents from both countries exchanged visits in recent years, the bilateral relations have been developing steadily.
Chinese medical doctor attending to a patient
“Since COVID-19 outbreak, our countries have been standing shoulder to shoulder, and helping each other in various areas. This reflects the deep friendship between our countries,” Amb. Hongwei added.
This year marks 50th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Rwanda. A lot has been achieved by both friendly countries and will be celebrated on 12 November.
On November 12, Rwanda and China will mark 50th anniversary since establishment of diplomatic relations. The cooperation is in areas of infrastructure development, education, agriculture, among others.
