By White Luhanga
The University Teaching Hospital (UTH) Adult Hospital has conducted three kidney transplants in just three days, bringing the total number of procedures performed this year to 11.
The three-day kidney transplants were conducted from 19th to 21st November in partnership with the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Global Initiative.
The programme stems from a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Health and the ACS, a collaboration now yielding tangible progress in specialised surgical care.
Senior Medical Superintendent for UTH Adult Hospital, Dr. Charles Mbewe, described the achievement as a testament to the hospital’s growing capacity to offer world-class services locally.
“Through strengthened partnerships and investment in local capacity, we are moving toward a future where patients can access world-class transplant services without leaving the country. The growing expertise of our transplant team is a testament to what our health system can achieve,” Dr. Mbewe said.
Dr. Mbewe acknowledged the contribution of the visiting ACS team and commended the dedication of local surgeons, expressing optimism that the ongoing skills transfer will soon result in a fully independent Zambian kidney transplant team.
Providing a programme update, National Coordinator for Nephrology Services, Dr. Aggrey Mweemba, confirmed that the hospital remains on course to meet its annual target of 15 kidney transplants.
The latest transplants were conducted by a combined team led by Dr. Victor Mapulanga, Surgical Lead of Kidney Transplant and Academic Head of the Department of Surgery at UTH Adult Hospital. The team also included Dr. Bassem Wardie, Dr. Micheal Silumbe, and Dr. Emmanuel Liche.
Dr. Mapulanga said all recipients are recovering well.
Visiting ACS transplant surgeon, Dr. Amy Lu, praised the progress made at UTH Adult Hospital, stating that Zambian doctors are increasingly demonstrating the capability to perform the surgeries without external assistance.
This is contained in a press release made available to the media by the University Teaching Hospitals – Adult Hospital Public Relations Officer, Mwiza Mwiya.
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