Michael’s story

Michael was brought to Lacor Hospital following a road traffic accident. He was taken for an X-ray, which showed a compound fracture of the femur shaft. His misfortune was counterbalanced by the fact that it happened during the voluntary stay of a foreign orthopedic surgeon at Lacor. Michael’s operation allowed a nail to restore alignment and stability. During surgery, the surgeon discovered a second fracture on the neck of the femur, which he repaired by inserting a second nail. Thanks to Lacor Hospital, Michael will soon walk again.

The management of orthopedic trauma is almost exclusively conservative (including traction, splinting and casting), even in cases of long bone fractures that require weeks of immobility (compared to the surgical procedures carried out in western countries, which allow mobilization within a few days). A significant percentage of these cases fail to heal properly and they are eventually referred to the National University referral hospital in Kampala, but as with most referrals, the people are too poor to go. In order to give a partial answer to the exponential increase in traffic accidents that followed the end of the war in 2007, Lacor Hospital has partnered with an NGO who selects and sends volunteer orthopedic surgeons who carry out service four times per year.