By Tandzile Dlamini (Intern)
SIDVOKODVO – Children across Eswatini are receiving free pediatric surgical check-ups this week through a special outreach program led by The Luke Commission. The screenings started on April 21 and will continue until April 23, 2025. This initiative is aimed at children aged 18 years and younger who may need surgery for specific medical conditions.
The health team is assessing children with several conditions. These include colostomy complications, where a child has a bag attached to their stomach to collect waste due to bowel problems. They are also seeing children who pass waste through abnormal openings, such as the urinary area, and boys with undescended testicles, which means one or both testicles have not moved into the scrotum. Other cases being checked are testicular hernias, which cause swelling or bulging in the scrotal area, usually due to a weak spot in the abdominal wall, and umbilical hernias, where the belly button sticks out because of a gap in the stomach muscles. This is common in babies, but if the bulge remains large after the age of four, surgery is needed.
Parents and guardians are encouraged to bring all the child’s medical records and to arrive early in the day to increase the chance of being seen. The initial screening is completely free, and any further treatment will depend on what the doctor finds during the examination.
“When going for screening , it is for free then,, depending on what the doctor finds in your body, they will prescribe something and charge you. But the initial assessment is completely free, said Musa Hadzebe from The Luke Commission.
This short-term campaign gives children access to expert care that is often not available in rural areas. It is part of a growing effort to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to all children in Eswatini.
