Patients agonised when there were no facilities at the hospitals. Suddenly, some state-of-the-art tools were shipped in, but no skilled personnel to operate them. Now, the challenge has been overcome and everyone is happy. FANEN IHYONGO reports on what has been dubbed a quiet revolution in the northeast state
When 25-year-old Aisha Musa, a resident of Zing Local Government Area of Taraba State, took ill with appendicitis, a disease caused by a blockage of the hollow portion of the appendix, she was quickly taken to the Specialist Hospital, Jalingo, the state capital. In a few minutes, the medics did their job and she was well again.
John Buba, 30, was also at the hospital with the same complaint, and like Aisha, got prompt attention and was discharged.
Both patients were treated through laparoscopic surgery or Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS), a procedure in which a surgeon inserts a very thin tube called laparoscope, a tiny video camera, into the abdomen. With that equipment, the surgeon can view the insides of the abdomen, observing such organs as oesophagus, stomach and large and small intestines on a monitor. The tiny instrument responds to the movements of the surgeon’s hands and the appendix is removed through small abdominal incisions. The surgeon can also see whether these tissues have cancer or not.
Thanks to the precision of the operation, minimal loss of blood, and the need for very small incisions, the patient recovers much faster and with less scarring, compared to traditional open surgery. In most cases it is no longer necessary to open the patient up with a large incision.
Soon after the process, Aisha and John became so well that they could eat and even talk to reporters.
“I wasn’t myself, but now I am OK,” Aisha told The Nation.
The Specialist Hospital was a classic parting gift from former Governor Jolly Nyame who bowed out of office in 2007, after 10 years of service. Nyame, the first elected governor of the state, was in office from 1992 to 1993, came back in 1999 before leaving in 2007. The hospital was however not equipped when the former governor commissioned it in 2007. Governor Danbaba Suntai, a pharmacist, equipped the hospital with state-of-the-art facilities when he took over the baton of power from Nyame. Some of these facilities are said to be found only in few hospitals. But despite these ultra-modern facilities, something seriously was missing at the Specialist Hospital: the skilled manpower to operate the machines. The hospital was like a ship without a sailor. The facilities were lying waste like a community with a river blessed with fish, but without the technology to catch the fish. The new Chief Medical Director (CMD) Dr. Joel Rimande made the difference.
How did he do it? Rimande, a consultant radiologist, employed the services of expert doctors from Jos, Plateau State, who came and taught the resident doctors how to use the facilities. The doctors were led by Michael Misanu, a surgeon with expert knowledge in Endoscopy and Laparoscopy. Rimande’s wisdom reminds us of a Chinese proverb in which a man turned down a fish gift, preferring instead to be taught how to catch fish.
In two weeks, Dr. Misanu and his team trained the resident principal doctors of the Specialist Hospital. During the training, Dr. Anuye Rimamskeb, who served as what could be described here as a class prefect, learned fast. He in turn trained the hospital staff. Some see the development as a revolution.
When The Nation visited the hospital during the training, a 38-year old woman who had gallbladder disease was being treated. The gallbladder is a little sac that stores bile from the liver, and it’s found just beneath the liver. It releases bile, via the cystic duct, into the small intestine to help break down the foods eaten —particularly fatty foods. The gallbladder may seem okay to forget about it, as it stays tucked away doing its job, but watch out when something goes wrong with your gallbladder. Thus, this lady was in excruciating pains when she was brought. But in a few minutes, the process was over and the lady was well again.
Another patient, a man with stomach disorders, was also treated with the modern science healthcare facilities. Soon he recovered and was discharged that same day. Other problems such as cysts, adhesions, fibroids , and many infections can be found using laparoscopy. Tissue samples can be taken for biopsy through the tube (laparoscope).
The medical director spoke to journalists on the training. He said the hospital would now provide modern science healthcare delivery on a regular basis. “And we are doing it at the barest minimum rate for patients. We have adapted the Danbaba Suntai philosophy that we must not allow a person to die here because of lack of money,” he said.
Remande advocated for “attractive” salaries, emoluments and incentives for doctors at the Specialist Hospital to avoid losing their manpower to hospitals with better pay packages.
The Specialist Hospital, just resuming from one-month strike, is hoping to intensify its efforts in offering to Taraba people the best of modern healthcare services. Acting Governor Abubakar Sani Danladi is expected to ensure the staff get all their allowances to enable them work to the best of their abilities.
