FREE SURGERIES PROVIDED TO EIGHTY HYDROCELE PATIENTS IN FCT
The FCT Administration, in collaboration with the Christian Blind Mission (CBM) and Health & Human Development Support (HANDS), has provided free surgeries for eighty impoverished patients suffering from hydrocele.
The aim of the hydrocele surgery is to alleviate the discomfort experienced by males with an enlarged scrotum.
Dr. Eunice Ogundipe, the program manager of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) at the Public Health Department (PHD), shared this information during an exclusive interview with Abuja Digest at the PHD in Area 3 Garki, Abuja.
She emphasized that the purpose of the surgery is to relieve hydrocele-affected individuals from poor communities, who face stigma and discrimination due to the condition. Hydrocele primarily affects men living in impoverished conditions, particularly in rural areas, where they cannot afford the cost of the surgery.
Dr. Ogundipe explained that hydrocele occurs when the lymphatic lobes become blocked, leading to the accumulation of fluid and enlargement of the scrotum, causing discomfort for the affected person.
She stated, “Mosquitoes act as vectors for lymphatic filariasis, which blocks the lymphatic lobes and causes enlargements in the leg, breasts for women, and the scrotum for men (hydrocele).”
The first group of 26 patients has already undergone surgeries at a Primary Healthcare Center in Gwagwalada Area Council, while the next batch will begin soon.
Dr. Ogundipe urged interested individuals who require the surgery or know someone who does to visit the nearest PHC in their vicinity.
Achai Ijah, the representative of HANDS in the FCT, disclosed that they have been supporting the activities related to Neglected Tropical Diseases in the region since signing a Memorandum of Understanding with FCT-HHSS in 1995. CBM and HANDS provide funding and support through advocacy, community mobilization, and awareness campaigns to improve the living conditions of those in need of the surgery.
During an interview with one of the beneficiaries, Moses Babangida, he recounted how he experienced discomfort in his scrotum and visited a nearby Primary Healthcare Center in Kwali. Upon diagnosis of hydrocele, he couldn’t afford the surgery cost, but his District Head, “Hakimi,” enlisted him for the surgery upon learning about his case.
Babangida expressed his gratitude to FCT-HHSS and CBM/HANDS for assisting him with the surgery.