[Tanzania] A Tanzanian is told he is too tall for hip replacement surgery

Barka Elias has been told he wouldn't fit in a hospital bed

Doctors in Tanzania have told a man that they can't treat him, because he is too tall. 

Baraka Elias, who is 7ft 4in (2.20m), needs hip replacement surgery after hurting himself in a fall. 

But doctors have told him that his height means he wouldn't be able to fit properly in a hospital bed and that some of their X-ray equipment is not suitable for someone of his size.

Mr Elias, who is from the country's southern Ruvuma region, went to see doctors at the specialist Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute in the commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

He told BBC Swahili that doctors are now trying to see if he can be treated abroad.

Patients recovering from hip replacement surgery need to lie flat on their back and keep their hip in the correct position, according to the UK's National Health Service website.

source-www.bbc.com