Free surgical procedures by Dr. Benjamin Akinkang’s Team of Hope

Report compiled by Joyce Bumbom (S.N.O; PERI-OP)

The following report, was sent to the Medical Superintendent, Sandema, and to the District Director of Health Services, Bulsa North, on November 27th, 2018.

From right to left: Dr. Benjamin Akinkang (surgeon), Felix Rockson Ayantoya (anesthesist), Dr. Khambate Fatima (surgeon), Joyce Bumbom (in charge of the theatre and acting DDNS)

Report on a free surgical outreach (Team of Hope)
Surgically amenable conditions, a substantial contribution to the global burden of disease makes access to surgery indispensable for realizing the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. It is estimated that approximately 11% of the global diseases, a burden that consists of miscellaneous but treatable surgical conditions is often neglected. Most of those bearing this disease burden reside in poor rural communities with depressed infrastructure. Inadequate surgical access leads to preventable disability and death in these communities.
In view of the above stated facts the people of Builsa land and its environs in the Upper East Region and across will once again be grateful to the Team of Hope led by Dr. Benjamin Akinkang who offered five day free surgical procedures to them at the Sandema Hospital (from 19th – 23rd November, 2018).
A total of sixty-four (64) patients had seventy-five (75) surgical procedures due to the co-existence of multiple pathologies in eight (8) patients. The surgical procedures carried out are stated below:

SURGERY	NO. OF CASES	MALE	FEMALE
Hernia Repairs	40	34	06
Hydrocelectomy	19	19	–
Excision lipoma and ganglions	14	07	07
Myomectomy	01	–	01
Exploratory Laporatomy	01	–	01

Note (F.K.): Hydrocelectomy: elimination of an accumulation of serious liquid; Excision lipoma and ganglions: Excision of benign fat tumors; Myomectomy: Surgical removal of uterine fibroids; Exploratory Laporatomy: Exploratory surgical opening of the abdominal cavity.

Team of Hope is a surgical mission initiated by a loyal son of Buluk in the person of Dr Benjamin Akinkang who started this course in October 2016, was joined by Dr Fatima Khambaty this year and since have been offering selfless service to the people.
May the Almighty Lord continue to bless this selfless team and heap divine health, promotion and protection on them always.

Ovarian cyst, weight 5 kg., removed from a young lady	Hernia repair

Operation of a young lady: A huge cyst was removed from a young lady who dropped out of school because she thought she was pregnant. She has been with her so-called “pregnancy” for 6 years without delivery. She was ridiculed in the community because they also thought she had a pregnancy that never got delivered.