All other things being equal, before the end of this year, the oil rich Delta state, will emerge as Nigeria’s medical tourism destination. This is thanks to the various successful surgical operations accomplished at the state’s University Teaching Hospital, Oghara. The DELSUTH project involves not just the acquisition and installation of world class medical facilities, but the development of well trained manpower to undertake surgeries hitherto obtainable only in developed countries.
One of the recent surgical feats in the hospital, a kidney transplant, was accomplished on January 13, this year. The state Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan, an accomplished Medical Doctor, was part of the team that successfully undertook the kidney transplant, having facilitated a five-year partnership between the hospital and the University of Texas, South-Western Medical Centre, Dallas, the United States of America, to build infrastructure and human capacity. The signed Memorandum of Understanding with the University of Texas was to develop a centre of excellence for kidney transplant and other related diseases.
Governor Uduaghan explained last year that it was part of the state’s “larger policy of boosting medical tourism as well as enhancing the internally generated revenue base of the state”. He said the overall objective was to make the facilities for nephrology and kidney transplant available and at a cheaper rate for the people.
To that effect, Governor Uduaghan led a delegation of the state officials to Texas for the treaty to be consummated. He further explained that the objective of the pact was to “establish a partnership that promotes joint initiatives in the fields of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation between the parties in Delta State.”
At the Government House, Asaba, after the arrival of the team that went to Texas, the governor specifically told those who cared to listen that the MOU includes improvement of the Dialysis Centre, the Laboratory, Radiology and Theatre Departments of DELSUTH. The governor hinted then that it would take between 14 months and 16 months to set up internationally acceptable standard fields of Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation in DELSUTH.
While the Governor vowed that in the next 10 months the state would boost the infrastructures as well as the capacity of the personnel and equipment at DELSUTH, to meet the required standard, he said the personnel at the hospital would be sent to UTSMC for specialization and refresher courses in technical-know-how on the new facilities for efficient service delivery. He said the MOU, which was signed on behalf of DELSUTH by Dr. Leslie Akporiaye, the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, and witnessed by Dr. Daniel Omodon (Permanent Secretary) of the Ministry of Health, in the presence of Dr. Peter Igarashi of UTSMC, was witnessed by Dr. Juan Arenas.
Dr. J Gregory Fitz, the UTSMC’s Executive Vice President, who led the Texas delegation, expressed delight not only about the collaboration but the enthusiasm and determination shown by Governor Uduaghan’s administration to set the pace whereby wealthy Nigerians no longer have cause to travel abroad for complex medical situations, but rather,have a point where people from other countries would come to the state to receive specialist medical care. He described the presence of Governor Uduaghan at the signing ceremony as “an indication of the seriousness attached to the project by the state.”
Six weeks after orthopaedic experts at the teaching hospital accomplished the knee replacement operation on a 74-year-old, Pa Thomas Akhalumemo from Edo State, another feat was recorded by the hospital when a hip operation was done on July 5, 2012 on 29-year-old Ete Erueyin.
The highly elated Pa Akhalumemo recounted how his ordeal started in 1968 during the Nigeria Civil War when he was wounded as a soldier and had been in pains and unable to move freely. He said he had been to several places for treatment and placed on medications but to no avail until the affected leg was successfully operated on at DELSUTH, adding that he could now walk freely without a walking stick or support from anyone. He expressed gratitude to the team of Doctors that performed the operation, the management of DELSUTH, Oghara and the Delta State Government for investing in a health institution that makes people to now get healthcare hitherto rendered in foreign countries at exorbitant costs.
Prof. Godwin Iwegbu, who led the team of experts in the hip replacement operation, said the medical condition is usually for those aging but revealed that the surgery was necessary for young Erueyin because of the high level of damage of his hip bone resulting from the steroids he received for the bronchial asthma he suffered. He explained that the damage to hip joint is characterised by severe pains, tilted body posture, difficulty in sitting, standing and most of all walking, even short distances as was the case of Erueyin. He said that the surgery was done without bone cement, usually required for older persons, adding that with about N500,000, such operation could be done in DELSUTH as against the over N4 million if done abroad.
Prof. Iwegbu, an international consultant surgeon in orthopaedics, said the operation was made possible by the state governor’s wise decision of contracting practising Medical Doctors in Diaspora, of which he is one. He praised Uduaghan for the many health care strides in the .
He urged Deltans in particular and Nigerians in general to desist from seeking medical help from quack bone setters as they do more harm than good, saying that their methods of treatment most times involved the cutting of the human body with the use of razor blades, which allows the entry of harmful germs, thus causing major bone destruction.
Erueyin, the hip replacement patient from Ifie town in Warri South Local Government Area, clearly overjoyed, said that with the use of his legs again, he would be productive as his condition caused him his job at Escravos and higher education at the Delta State University, Abraka. While he thanked God for the team of surgeons for the successful operation, and Governor Uduaghan for creating the avenue, noting that he could now conveniently sit, stand and walk, Akporare said the drive is to make the Teaching Hospital not just a health care hub but also a centre for medical tourism in line with the vision of the Dr. Uduaghan-led administration.
Dr. Akporare, who was represented by his second-in-command in the institution and the Chairman, Management Advisory Committee, Dr. Kevwe Inikori, a Consultant Radiologist, posited that with the availability of more world class facilities and medical experts in DELSUTH, the scourge of seeking medical help abroad by Nigerians, especially Deltans, in conditions affecting bone and kidney, would be a thing of the past. He revealed that training and re-training of medical doctors, nurses and by extension pharmacists would continue, recalling the occasion where all the surgeons in DELSUTH were sent to Dubai, United Arab emirates for training by Uduaghan in the recent past. He added that the management of the Hospital would soon be concluding the process of collaborating with prostheses manufacturing companies to put an end to buying by patients before operation and expressed optimism that DELSUTH would get there with the presence of the Diaspora Doctors and Nurses and the maintaining of world class practices.
Governor Uduaghan has received a lot of accolades following the accomplishment of these rare feats. Floodgates of commendations have reached the office of the Governor’s Commissioner for Information, Chike Ogeah, and Dr. Joseph Otumara, his Commissioner for Health, maintaining that the success of the surgery (kidney transplant) signals the advent of more complex operations to be undertaken at the hospital in due course. “The feat will ultimately make DELSUTH a centre for medical excellence and tourism in Nigeria. That is what medical tourism is all about and DELSUTH is leading the way,” one of the commendations read.
Ogeah, who lauded his boss, noted that the pioneering surgeries at the hospital demonstrate his boss’ visionary leadership and unique approach to healthcare in the country. While he said Delta State remains the only state with a comprehensive healthcare programme, he added: “The state is the only place where pregnant women enjoy comprehensive free healthcare coverage and free delivery, including free caesarean section. In addition to that, every new born baby enjoys free medical care until five years of age. This is unprecedented and largely explains why Delta State by far has the lowest maternal death rate.”
The Eagle Online recalls that when the Uduaghan administration came into office on May 29, 2007, the death rate per 1,000 births was over 500. However, by 2013, the figure had dropped to about 250 deaths per 1,000 births, giving Delta State by far the best record in the country. The governor has since then set the pace whereby wealthy Nigerians no longer have cause to travel abroad for even complex medical situations/ Rather, they now have a point where people from other countries will be coming to the state in search of specialist medical care.
Two years ago, the Delta State Government started subsidising dialysis for kidney patients in DELSUTH and progressively brought the cost down from N20,000 to N5,000, applicable only to patients of Delta State origin.
Speaking shortly after the kidney surgery was done, Governor Uduaghan expressed satisfaction that the transplant was a success, stating that it was another medical breakthrough for the state’s hospital and Nigeria at large. He said: “This is a happy day for me as we are able to provide this service”, adding, “I know we were well prepared for this surgery and we also have a good post surgery team. The hospital is overflowing with patients, so we are planning to expand bed facilities by putting up a 300 bed ward for this hospital.
He recalled how the hospital has gone into a five-year partnership with UT South-Western Medical Centre, Dallas. He said: “We have a five-year training agreement with them to build infrastructure and human capacity. What they will be charging here will be far lower than what obtains anywhere else in the world. About two years ago, we started subsidising dialysis in this hospital and brought it down from N20,000, mainly for Deltans.”
The governor has since gigen glory to God and commended President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan for providing the enabling environment for the Nigeria health sector to blossom.
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