In previous years, local patients would travel to Asia and Europe to have these procedures done but with more hospitals introducing cosmetic surgery and having competent plastic surgeons, more patients are having it done locally.

Currently Africa has about 600 plastic surgeons with Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa and Libya leading. Kenya and Uganda have seven plastic surgeons each, Sudan has four while Tanzania and Rwanda have none.

According to the Kenya Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons chairman Dr Bernard Githae, the high demand for plastic surgeons locally has forced them to establish a curriculum for training institutions in the country.

“Kenya has been sending students who aspire to be plastic surgeons to South Africa but in the next two years we will be opening a training institution for plastic surgeons,” states Dr Githae.

There are less that 50 plastic surgery institutions in Africa and they are mostly in South Africa, Egypt and Libya.

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