Dar es Salaam. People living with severe obesity will have an opportunity to undergo specialist assessments and learn about surgical treatment options during a weight-loss surgery camp scheduled to run until September 11.
The camp, organised by Shifaa Pan African Hospital in Kinondoni, will provide medical consultations to help determine whether bariatric surgery is appropriate for individual patients.
Specialist surgeon Dr Kassim Bahsan said the initiative was intended to help people understand the potential role of weight-loss surgery in managing severe obesity and related health problems.
“For people living with severe obesity, losing weight can be more than a matter of appearance. Excessive weight can affect mobility, contribute to chronic pain and worsen conditions such as diabetes,” he said at the weekend.
Dr Bahsan said the procedures would use minimally invasive surgical techniques, but stressed that patients would first undergo medical assessment and receive specialist advice before any decision on surgery was made.
The hospital will also hold a public health education forum on September 4 to discuss weight management and bariatric surgery, including who may qualify, potential benefits and what patients can expect from the procedures.
Participants will also hear from patients who have undergone weight-loss surgery and reported significant reductions in weight and improvements in conditions such as diabetes and hip pain, Dr Bahsan said.
Head of the hospital’s Department of Surgery, Dr Murad Tarmohamed, said the camp would give people with severe obesity an opportunity to discuss their condition with specialist surgeons and explore appropriate treatment options.
He urged people considering surgery to undergo a comprehensive medical assessment before proceeding.
“Members of the public should take advantage of this opportunity to consult our team of specialist surgeons. They will provide professional guidance on the necessary pre-operative assessments and the most appropriate treatment options,” he said.
Dr Tarmohamed said minimally invasive surgery involves smaller incisions, which can help patients recover and resume normal activities sooner than with conventional open surgery.
The hospital has so far performed minimally invasive weight-loss surgery on 20 patients with severe obesity.
He said some patients had recorded substantial weight reductions following surgery. One patient who previously weighed 148 kilogrammes, for example, had reduced their weight to about 98 kilogrammes, alongside improvements in their health and quality of life.
Dr Tarmohamed said weight-loss surgery should not be viewed primarily as a cosmetic procedure.
“Many people mistakenly believe that this type of surgery is primarily for cosmetic purposes. That is not the case. It can provide significant health benefits, including helping patients manage obesity-related conditions such as diabetes,” he said.
He added that some patients who had experienced breathing difficulties associated with excessive weight had also reported improvements after surgery.
The camp is expected to allow people living with severe obesity to discuss their individual circumstances with specialists and receive advice on whether surgery is an appropriate treatment option.
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