In furtherance of the initiatives to make the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) the leading provider of healthcare solutions in the West African sub region, the management of the foremost teaching hospital in the country has announced the successful inception of the institution’s cardiac surgery programme.
The announcement was made today by the management of the institution noting that the commencement of this notable programme further enhances specialist services in the country.
“The management of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, on behalf of the Cardiothoracic Surgery Unit (CTSU), Department of Surgery, is pleased to announce the successful inception of the UBTH Cardiac Surgery Programme. The commencement of this programme aligns with the current management’s strategic plan of advancing specialist services and the hospital’s broader vision of becoming the leading provider of quality healthcare solutions in West Africa,” UBTH said.
Open-heart surgery is one of the most complex procedures that can be conducted in any healthcare setting and requires seamless interactions between high-performing interdisciplinary health teams and functional theatres, laboratories, clinics and wards. There is, perhaps, no greater testament of a top-functioning health system than the ability to successfully perform this complicated procedure. Coming barely one year after a landmark golden jubilee, the inception of this program proves without doubt that UBTH has come of age in the delivery of quality healthcare services.
“Since the inception of our cardiac surgery programme, there have been two sessions. The latest was held from April 22nd through April 26th after rigorous planning and meticulous patient selection. The high point was the performance of two open heart surgeries on children with congenital heart defects (ventricular septal defect and atrial septal defect, both with patent ductus arteriosus). Both surgeries were led by our own cardiothoracic surgeon in the CTSU, Dr Oseyi Dawodu. The patients received round the clock monitoring and intensive care in the immediate post-operative period and comprehensive specialist care in the surgical ward thereafter. They were eventually discharged in excellent clinical state on May 2nd 2024, the holes in their hearts, mended,” UBTH said.
The successful inception of this programme is bound to help reduce the cost of medical tourism on Nigerians and other West Africans in need of this service.
Averagely, the cost of open-heart surgery ranges from $3,000 to $8,000 in India. This is equivalent to N3.9 million to N10.4 million in today’s exchange rate. In addition, the patient and his dependent will also incur the cost of return tickets, accommodation, feeding among others, making it a huge burden on the family. Consequently, the coming on board of this service at UBTH provides a better and affordable alternative for Nigerians and other West Africans in need of this service.
Further, this novel feat would not have been possible without the visionary leadership of Prof Darlington Obaseki, the Chief Medical Director of UBTH as well as the determination and competence of the cardiothoracic unit led by Prof Stanley Okugbo, who also serves as the CMAC of the hospital.
Also, the collegial support of an all-Nigerian visiting team led by Prof Sanusi of Babcock University, the philanthropy of Barr. Asue Ighodalo, Dr Francis Ukpokolo, Engr Derrick Irianan and the dedication of multiple teams within UBTH who strive daily to live up to UBTH’s core values of caring, respecting people, valuing lives, and aiming for excellence.
“The CTSU is particularly grateful to this bevy of hard-working healthcare teams including, anaesthetists, anaesthetic technicians, cardiologists, perioperative nurses, intensivists and intensive care nurses, haematologists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, laboratory scientists, biomedical engineers/technicians and Infection Prevention and Control practitioners, without whom the Cardiac Surgery Programme could not have been actualised,” UBTH added.
As the CTSU gears up to regularise the performance of routine open-heart surgeries, the management uses this opportunity to solicit the benevolence and generous spirit of individuals, public and private corporate bodies and non-governmental organisations for donations to sustain the programme and ensure that UBTH remains steadfast in the noble mission of mending hearts.
