KABWE Central Hospital has officially entered the league of hospitals that no longer just treat malaria, coughs and STIs, after successfully performing its first-ever brain surgeries.
The historic operations, done on Tuesday, have marked a major medical breakthrough for Central Province, where patients with serious head injuries and brain conditions previously had to endure stressful referrals to Lusaka or other towns.
This time around, instead of putting patients on long ambulance road trips while praying for miracles on pothole-filled roads, doctors decided to bring the miracles to Kabwe.
The surgeries were led by neurosurgeon Dr Elijah Samakayi Katambo, assisted by Dr Evans Lukonde and Dr Wirgan Valiant Mwape and the first patient was a road traffic accident victim.
Doctors said the man suffered severe fractures to the forehead stretching to the eye socket and nose, a broken jaw that affected breathing, broken ribs with blood in the chest and a fractured femur.
Before touching the head, medics first opened a breathing path through the neck in a procedure called tracheostomy.
After restoring the airway, the team then moved to the skull and repaired the damaged head bones.
The patient is now recovering in the Intensive Care Unit under close watch from surgeons and orthopedic specialists.
Not done showing off their scalpel skills, the team next turned to an infant suffering from hydrocephalus, a condition where fluid builds up in the brain and causes the head to enlarge.
To rescue the child, doctors performed a Ventricular Peritoneal shunt procedure, which redirects excess brain fluid to the abdomen where the body can absorb it.
The surgery is expected to relieve pressure on the baby’s brain and improve chances of healthy growth and development.
“This is a milestone to celebrate,” the medical team said.
“Kabwe Central Hospital has now entered a new chapter, elevating our capacity to save lives that would otherwise require desperate transfers out of the province.”
By George Musonda
Kalemba April 23, 2026
