Doctors performing open-heart surgery at the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital in Nnewi
Nigerian hospital performs record 24 open heart surgeries
Anambra State-based Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, in Oraifite, in Nnwei has performed a medical feat, as doctors performed a record 24 open heart surgeries, the first of such Africa.
The feat facilitated by a group of three bodies, including; an Integrated Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) company, Oilserv Ltd., the Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation, and the VOOM Foundation, in the United States, assembled a total of 45 medical doctors from the United States and Sweden at the hospital to break the record.
Group Chief Executive Officer (GCEO), Oilserv Group, Dr Emeka Okwuosa, who disclosed this in a statement, Wednesday, explained that the surgeries were performed at the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, in Oraifite, Anambra.
Okwuosa who further informed that the hospital is a multimillion dollar investment that specialises in critical care management and automated surgery procedures, said the open heart surgeries performed on adults and children were part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
According to him, the feat is an improvement of the first medical fair for 2022 conducted in May, where only eight open heart surgeries were performed at no cost to the patients and their guardians.
Okwuosa said the latest medical fair and second for the year held between October 31 and November 11, with 45 medical doctors from the USA and Sweden in attendance.
“It is worthy to note that Nigeria performs 50 open heart surgeries in a year but the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital performed 24 open heart surgeries on 23 patients worth over N180 million in just 10 days, 12 cardiac cathetharisations and one pacemaker insertion.
“Also, 348 general practice cases (with focus on diabetes, arthritis and hypertension) were performed at no cost to the beneficiaries,” he said.
Okwuosa said that observers from the Federal Ministry of Health, the Paediatric Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Society of Paediatric Cardiology were on ground to observe the procedures.
“Having one hospital perform 24 open heart surgeries in two weeks is a significant feat that has never been recorded in the history of Nigeria and Africa at large.
“We believe in the power of humanity to solve any challenge and we are driven by the sheer determination and passion to impact lives positively.
“Oilserv and the foundation’s contribution to families, communities in Anambra and Nigeria at large align with our deeply rooted commitment to impacting lives positively and to support the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Okwuosa added.
The foundation had also touched lives through poverty alleviation programmes, capacity building, provision of basic amenities such as roads and water.
It had also awarded scholarships to the people and had improved the standard of living of people in Oraifite community in Anambra and other neighbouring communities and Nigeria at large.
