ISHAKA ADVENTIST HOSPITAL SET TO BECOME WESTERN UGANDA’S CENTER FOR ORTHOPEDIC EXCELLENCE

Zadock Amanyisa

Ishaka Adventist Hospital (IAH) is on the cusp of revolutionizing orthopedic care in the region with the establishment of a state-of-the-art orthopedic clinic. This cutting-edge facility will offer comprehensive services, including fracture repair, minor injury treatment, and hip and knee replacements for both children and adults.

This establishment is being reached with the support of Dr. Gary Botimer, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Loma Linda, USA, who has exhibited his special love for Ishaka Adventist Hospital and chosen to dedicate his four decade-long rich experience in orthopedics.

Dr. Botimer was connected to Ishaka by his old-time friends who had been there on a missionary trip.

“I had the privilege to hear about Ishaka from some high school classmates of mine (Dr. Steve Spady and Dr. Marlin Meharry) and they asked me what I was going to do in retirement. I should go to Ishaka. When I came here on a trip just to see and look, I met Lydia (the Executive Director) and the Chairman of the Board,” Dr. Botimer expresses.

The orthopedics guru has supported remodeling the operating theatre so that IAH can handle orthopedic surgery. A good operating room is a requirement for orthopedics. He is in the process of bringing in more equipment to enable the hospital to have the best orthopedic section in the area. He is excited about what is happening on the hill.

“When I came to Ishaka, I was very impressed with them, and I saw what the operating room was like; they were not doing orthopedics, and this inspired me to change it. We have redone the operating room so that we can handle orthopedic surgery, a very special requirement for orthopedics. We have redone that, and we are in the process of bringing in lots of equipment. We are going to have orthopedics at Ishaka, the best in the area, and I am excited about all the things that are happening. I look forward to establishing the best orthopedic clinic here at Ishaka,” he told this author.

Dr. Botimer’s dedication to IAH is a testament to his passion for improving lives through healthcare. With the first consignment of equipment already shipped to the hospital, he says more is coming; there is another special machine for the operating room.

“With such, we can fix fractures without opening them so much; we have special hardware coming. We shall be able to do total hips and replace people’s knees. We shall have state-of-the art orthopedics around so that both children and adults’ fractures and injuries can be restored to better health so they can function,” he explains.

Dr. Botimer has gained fame back home, where he has designed and run operating rooms. He has served as the chairman of the orthopedics department at Loma Linda.

He tethers everything that he has done and wants to accomplish at Ishaka to God, who he says has given him many opportunities, and this way he should use them and related experiences to save lives at Ishaka.

“God gave me an opportunity to do research with fabulous people in Switzerland. Over the years, I have worked on the methodologies for doing total knees and total hips, and I am excited that we are going to bring that here, and in fact, one of the people that I worked with in Switzerland is going to supply us with materials to help us keep going with the orthopedics here,” he anticipates.

Previously, Mr. Kalemba Ashabaheebwa, the orthopedic officer in charge, said the hospital would make orthopedic referrals to other facilities in the area, but with the establishment of the service, clients came in numbers to access it.

“We started small, and we hope to do better now that experts are on board and more equipment is being shipped to enable the smooth running of the service. We shall be able to do bigger surgical operations, and Ishaka will become a center of excellence in handling orthopedic cases,” he noted.

The Medical Director, Dr. Brian Musinguzi notes that an improved orthopedic center is a dream come true for the hospital.

 “We have been working diligently to establish a robust appointment and booking system, and we are thrilled to announce that we’re now welcoming a full-time orthopedic surgeon with unparalleled expertise. Dr. Gary, one of the most renowned orthopedic surgeons from the USA, is joining our team. Notably, he’s a pioneer in hip replacement methods, and we are honored to have him on board,”

“As a hospital, we’re privileged to serve our community with cutting-edge orthopedic care, and we praise God for this remarkable opportunity. With Dr. Botimer’s leadership, we’re confident that our orthopedic department will become a beacon of excellence, providing top-notch services to those in need.” He adds

According to the Hospital Executive Director, Ms Lydia Komugisha, “these orthopedic services are no rare in this region. The state-of-art operation theatre with available super specialized doctors is life transforming for the hospital! We are all excited and thank God for these mega blessings!”

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