No advice. No Doctor. No treatment. What do you do? Having trouble answering that question? You are not alone. People just a plane journey away suffer each day because they either do not have or cannot afford the basic health care that keeps the western world healthy and in high spirits.

Preservation of health is precious to us all, which is why Beta Charitable Trust continuously support projects like this one in Bukoba, capital city of the Kagera region on the western shore of Lake Victoria. Bukoba is situated North West of Tanzania. In September 2011, our ground team announced they would be visited for a second time by Dr. Schaeffer, an orthopaedic surgeon. The news spread like wild fire through the villages and across the districts and before long people were turning up with all manner of medical ailments, way before the Doctor was due to arrive. 4 patients needed serious attention as they had a condition called Goiter which had become cancerous. They were sent straight to Mugana hospital for treatment.

Many of the patients arriving to see  our ground team suffered with the condition Goiter. Goiter is a swelling in the thyroid gland which can lead to swelling of the neck or larynx, Goiter rarely occurs if the thyroid is functioning properly. BBC medical news reports say that 90% of Goiter conditions are caused by an iodine deficiency. Patients that visited our ground team with this condition were quickly transferred to the Ume Kulsum Centre for assessment. After assessment, all the patients suffering with Goiter were transferred to the Mugana Hospital to be checked for cancer.

Once  assessed at the hospital, operations were swiftly scheduled  for the removal of the Goiter. The Goiter growth can weigh anything between one pound and 5 Kilos. This estimation comes from our own reports and  some may weigh even more. Generally Goiters are located in the neck or face area. Sometimes the malfunctioning thyroid gland causes Goiters to appear on the shoulder or leg.

Three Doctors took charge of the surgery the patients needed and began making arrangements for their operations. By the 17th of October the surgeries began to be conducted. The team consisted of  three Doctors and a handful of nurses and they were on a mission to remove Goiters from as many patients as possible and enable their patients to have a new lease of life. Within the first day the Doctors had completed 9 surgeries. Operations were long and complicated. Most of the patients were suffering from Goiter swellings in their neck which meant the Doctors were performing intricate surgeries around the spine and along many main arteries and had to be extremely precise so as not to cause any complications and  problems.

On the 18th of October the surgical team completed a further 6 operations.  Amongst these  was an elderly patient who had a Goiter on her shoulder. Although away from main arteries and vital organs, the surgery was still tricky. The Doctors were  aiming  to make and stitch the incision in such  a way that the scar would be barely noticeable.

On the third and final day the Doctors successfully completed  a further 9 surgeries. The Goiter these patients suffered with is not uncommon in countries who do not use salt in their diet  which contains iodine. The condition can be a part of the patient for years without being detected  If untreated with medicines for around 5 years,  the Goiter becomes permanent and has to be surgically removed. The woman in the image  below has unfortunately reached this stage. With no money for food she has no alternative but to beg. With no money to get treatment and not enough aid donations to go around, she may, if she is lucky, be put on of a waiting list.

Beta Charitable Trust sent over £1,900 (15 surgeries completed at $200 per operation roughly £127) toward the surgeries and will continue to monitor the Goiter situation within the surrounding areas. News of the success of the surgeries  has spread and made more people suffering aware of the kind donations that make surgeries possible. It gives them hope that perhaps one day they too will receive surgery and be given the chance of a normal life. You can contribute to this cause by clicking this link.