Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has commended the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Keffi, for performing a rare feat which saw 14 indigent pediatric patients with different heart diseases undergo a successful open heart surgery. The governor made this statement during his tour of the operation theatre and the intensive care unit of the medical centre.
Represented by his deputy, Dr Emmanuel Akabe, the governor called on other organizations to collaborate with the government in healthcare delivery. He equally urged stakeholders to support the health facility to enable it to succeed in providing life-changing surgical procedures to patients.
Dr Yahaya Adamu, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the medical centre, disclosed that the project began on April 28, 2023, and would be concluded on May 26, 2023, with more surgeries to be carried out.
One of the collaborating organizations, Hospitals For Humanity, an international non-governmental organization, contributed immensely to the success of the project. Dr Myna Shegos, Executive Director, Hospitals for Humanity, Georgia, US, explained that the organisation had been providing free pediatric open heart surgeries and cardiac catheterization for children since 2021.
The CMD, Dr. Adamu, explained that the surgeries were carried out on patients suffering from varying heart diseases, including ventricular septal defect, double chamber right ventricle, and an anomaly whereby a device placed in the body had moved to the heart. He appreciated the combined efforts of the pediatric surgeons, nurses, and other health specialists in the health center for the achievements recorded so far.
According to Dr. Adamu, the medical center plans to collaborate with the state government and other well-meaning Nigerians to fund the project. He further revealed that the health center has plans to develop capacity through regular heart surgeries, affording the surgeons the opportunity to improve their skills for the benefit of Nigerians.
The successful surgeries show that the country can provide top-notch healthcare for Nigerians. However, there is a need for more collaborations between the government, local, and international organizations to achieve such a feat consistently.
