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Tag: Federal Medical Centre

  • The many little miracles at Umuahia’s FMC

    As the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) is on the path to performing 40 kidney transplants this year, WALE AJETUNMOBI examines this specialised and comprehensive healthcare centre

    Umuahia, the Abia State, is fast becoming miracles’ centre. The Federal Medical Centre in its bowel is performing many little miracles that are changing lives, for good. Many are linking this to the emergence of Dr. Abali Chuku as its Medical Director.

    The FMC, Umuahia has emerged the pioneer medical institution in the Southeast/Southsouth for kidney transplants.

    To ensure that the first kidney transplant under his watch proceeded without any hitch, Dr. Chuku observed with keen interest developments at other kidney transplant centres in Nigeria, especially St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos, and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.

    He signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of Toledo to build the capacity and expertise of the doctors that participated in the kidney transplant surgery. The team was in Ohio, United States to observe transplantation of kidney at the university’s medical centre. They also spent time studying the rudiments of the complicated nature of kidney transplant so that when the procedure eventually begins at FMC Umuahia, it will not be strange to them.

    The initial surgeries were carried for over 10 hours, by a team of surgeons led by Dr. Obi Ekwenna, a Nigerian-American from University of Toledo Medical Centre, Ohio. Other members of the medical team from FMC Umuahia are Dr. George Okwudili Acho, Dr. Mgbeojedo Chizoba, Dr. Ezieule Victor, Dr. Ngwu Paul, Dr. Ngwu Daberechi and Dr. Okwuonu Chimezie.

    After the transplants of December 7 and 8, 2017, a 15-member medical team of FMC Umuahia again on January 24 and 25, 2018 undertook two more kidney transplants.

    The feats attracted Minister of Health Prof Isaac Adewole. The minister saw two patients as well as the donors at the Intensive Care Unit and also met and congratulated the medical team and the hospital’s management.

    Adewole said: “I am always happy to visit this hospital and I am more than impressed with its breakthrough in Kidney transplantation”.

    Dr. Chuku said the centre would be handling about 20 kidney transplants within the first half of 2018 and 20 others during the second half of the year.

    He also appreciated the kidney donors and members of their families “for having the courage to donate one of their kidneys” stating that the vision of FMC Umuahia is to make Kidney transplant in the facility the cheapest in the country. He informed that the hospital’s Kidney Foundation hopes to subsidize each transplant to less than N3.5 million, which will make it far cheaper than other centres in the country. He appealed to well-meaning Nigerians and philanthropists to buy into the cost of kidney transplantation, stressing that kidney transplant were cheaper than renal dialysis in the long run.

    The two patients, who had kidney transplants last year, are 37-year-old Orji Ogbonanya Ule, a business man who said he had had kidney problem for four years. His new kidney was donated by his 58-year-old uncle, a civil servant. The other patient was a 68-year-old medical doctor whose kidney problem was diagnosed four months before the surgery. His new kidney was donated by a security man, who is his relation.

    The FMC, Umuahia example

    Notwithstanding the fact that 10 other health institutions undertake kidney transplant in Nigeria, it does not in any way diminish the great significance of the development at FMC Umuahia for a number of reasons.

    First, FMC Umuahia is not a Teaching Hospital usually attached to a university where breakthroughs in varied aspects of medical practice are usually expected.

    Secondly, FMC Umuahia has become the first medical institution in the South-east geo-political zone of Nigeria to undertake kidney transplantation and the only currently undertaking the procedure in both the Southeast and Southsouth zones. History has indeed been made. Patients from the two zones suffering from kidney disorder can now conveniently access medical care from nearby FMC, Umuahia and at reasonable cost compared to what obtains in other kidney transplant centres or even outside our shores.

    Worthy of note also is the fact that this pioneering effort at FMC Umuahia was carried out at no cost to the four lucky patients.

    The gesture also vividly portrays the humanism of Dr Chuku as a man in sympathy with the less privileged in the society. A man whose calling as a medical doctor is first and foremost to save lives that are in danger before the benefits that accrue from his vocation.

    An elated Dr Chuku said: “They provided a wonderful opportunity for poor people like us without means to go abroad for transplantation.”

     Supervision and appreciation

    On assumption of duty as medical director, Dr Chuku tried to determine the factors that would make FMC Umuahia a health facility to reckon with and reviewed the management strategy to achieving it. He decided to put in place two drivers. The first is money and the other monitoring. According to him, an effective combination of money and monitoring will produce good result. He identified lack of money and monitoring as the contributory factors to the problems in the health sector in Nigeria. He called on the Regulatory Agencies in the health sector to be more diligent in their duties so that nurses, pharmacists, doctors and other professionals will be conscientious in the discharge of their responsibilities. He said that if doctors and nurses are afraid of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria and the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria respectively, just as people are afraid of EFCC and ICPC, attitude to work in the health sector will change for the better. Some element of fear that will compel people discharge their duties accordingly he said was desirable.

    A strong advocate of monitoring, Dr Chuku said doctors and nurses must have their duties properly defined and effectively monitored.

    Dr Chuku described the maintenance culture in Nigeria as terribly poor. Most managers of institutions do not factor in maintenance as part of management requirements, unlike in developed countries where maintenance is considered along with machine requirements. He said SAFE project of FMC Umuahia has played a catalytic role in manpower development, monitoring and procurement.

    Taking into consideration the type of machines in use at FMC Umuahia, the medical director constituted a proper procurement unit. In fact, FMC Umuahia was the first to have a duly constituted procurement unit in the Southeast. In recognition of this fact, the head of the unit has been honoured with the fellowship of the Procurement Institute. To get the best value for money, competitive bidding was instituted.

    At the end of every month, the best performing nurse is announced and properly rewarded. The best doctor is announced every quarter. Dr. Chuku informed that nurses at FMC Umuahia have a strong linkage with the National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA). This association is helping to improve nursing process in FMC Umuahia.

    As Chuku inches his way to the end of what has so far been a highly eventful and unassailable tenure, his supervisor has given a generous and pleasant assessment. During an official visit to FMC, Umuahia in January, Adewole described FMC Umuahia as a “wonderful facility”.

    He said:”When an institution is rated high, it means the leadership is aspiring for excellence.

    I almost said that Dr Chuku is the best MD (Medical Director) in Nigeria.”

     

  • Lassa fever hits Ondo

    Lassa fever hits Ondo

    An outbreak of Lassa fever has been reported in Ondo State.
    Dr Liasu Ahmed, the Chief Medical Director of Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, confirmed the outbreak to newsmen on Monday on telephone.
    Ahmed, however, declined to give further details.
    He said that it was the prerogative of the Ondo State Government to release details on the outbreak.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that some persons suspected to have been infected were taken to the FMC, Owo, while others with critical conditions were said to have been referred to Irua Specialist Hospital in Edo for treatment.

    Similarly, a medical doctor with the FMC, who spoke on anonymity, confirmed that a family of four persons were brought to the hospital from Oka-Akoko area of the state, while another six suspected victims were also rushed to the centre from Owo and Ose Local Government Areas of the state.
    According to the medical doctor, health workers at the FMC were working under fear of contracting the epidemic.
    The state government is yet to react to the development as the state Commissioner for Health, Dr Wahaab Adegbenro, did not answer calls nor reply to text messages.

     

  • FMC Umuahia performs two kidney transplants

    FMC Umuahia performs two kidney transplants

    The Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia has successfully held two kidney transplants within two days  with kidneys it harvested in the hospital from separate donors.

    The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the Centre, Dr Abali Chuku has never hidden his desire to have kidney transplants brought closer to the people of the Southeast since he assumed office of the medical outfit.

    The surgeries and the transplant were performed by a team of medical experts from the University of Toledo Medical Centre, Ohio, United States of America led by Dr Obi Ekwenna with the support of James Ogbuka Umekwe and in collaboration with FMC doctors.

    The first transplant was done on  a 37-year-old businessman and native of Ohafia, Abia State whose name was simply given as Mr Oji. The donor was a 57-year-old civil servant simply identified as Mr Kalu.

    The second transplant was done on a 68-year-old medical doctor, a  native of Umuahia, whose name was given as Dr Charles. The donor was a 41-year-old security man, Mr Innocent.

    Speaking with The Nation after the operation, Dr Ekwenna confirmed that both donors and the recipients are doing very at the hospital’s intensive care unit.

    In their reactions, Oji said that he had kidney issues for about four years while Dr Charles disclosed he had his for four months and thanked God that their problems have been solved locally.

    Oji expressed gratitude to the FMC and its CMD Dr Chuku saying, “They provided a wonderful opportunity for poor people like us without the means to go abroad for transplantation. We also thank God for using the medical team to save our lives”.

    Dr Ekwenna the team leader and surgeon described the surgeries as not only successful and excellent by any standard anywhere in the world, but a thing of joy that they were able to conduct the surgeries with ease.

    He attributed the success of the feat to the dedication of the team, the hospital management and its Director Dr Abali Chuku and urged other medical heads across the country to borrow a leaf from the management of FMC Umuahia.

    Dr Ekwenna said, “Dr Chuku is a strong and committed leader, we met few years ago and he expressed the desire to have transplantation center in the South East part of Nigeria whee the FMC which he is he adding is situated and I pledged to assist with my Team in Toledo”.

    He explained that with the partnership which the FMC Umuahia and the University of Toledo have reached, “My team will work towards transferring Skills and return to Nigeria to render more professional assistance including doing more transplantations as soon as possible”.

    In his reaction the CMD of Abia FMC Dr Chuku expressed happiness that his vision of bringing such highly professional medical feat close to the people of the South East Nigeria has been achieved.

    Dr Chuku said that the success of the transplantation has been made even more meaningful as the hospital’s vision in Kidney Transplant Services will provide the cheapest, affordable and efficient destination for kidney transplantation in the South East.

    The Abia FMC boss explained that the hospital will perform 40 kidney transplantations next year 2018 and canvassed collaboration of the public in its bid to have more kidney transplantation.

    He disclosed that the FMC under his leadership got involved in Kidney transplant in 2015 when he was honored by the University of Toledo Ohio USA along with others from other countries.

    Dr Chuku said that the University is renowned globally for its skill in transplantation, adding that since his desire had always been to bring such medical feat down to this part of the country, I did not hesitate to take up the challenge when it came my way”.

    He said, “This university is globally known for kidney transplantation. After my induction into its Hall of Fame, I was asked what I would want the University do for me. And I chose establishing a Kidney Centre at FMC Umuahia.

  • Director commits suicide after wife delivers triplets

    Director commits suicide after wife delivers triplets

    Tragedy has struck in the home of a director in the employ of the Kogi State public service, Edward Soje (54), as he committed suicide barely 10 days after his wife was delivered of a set of male triplets.
    The couple had been childless in their over 17 years of marriage.
    Soje, a director with the Kogi State civil service, reportedly hung himself with rope on a tree in Lokoja, the state capital.

    The Nation gathered on Saturday that Soje’s dangling body was discovered on a tree behind the mammy market at the Maigumeri Barracks, housing the Nigeria Army Command Record.

    Soje , a Grade Level 16 officer in the Kogi State Teaching Service Commission (TSC) decided to take his life barely 10 days after his wife of 17 years was delivered of a set of male triplets in a private hospital in Abuja.
    Soje, who hailed from Ogori town in Ogori-Magongo local government of Kogi, was allegedly being owed 11 months salary arrears as at the time he took his own life.
    He reportedly travelled to Abuja, leaving a suicide note for the wife who is said to be a federal civil servant, before committing suicide.

    The suicide note read, “Psalm 121:3: God will not suffer your foot to be moved: He that keepeth you will not slumber. Amen. You and the three boys, God Almighty keep you and make you prosperous. Amen. I love you”.

    Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. William Aya said that the dangling body of Soje was found on a tree behind the barracks, around 5.55 pm on October 16.

    Aya, an Assistant Superintendent of Poluce (ASP) said that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Area D Division received information about the incident from the military intelligence office in the barracks.
    He said, “Police moved to the scene and removed the corpse to the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja. Investigation is on-going”.
    According to the police, nothing was found on the man to help trace his  address and family.

    However, a search party organised by some relations and friends, led them to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), where his corpse was discovered at the morgue of the hospital on October 20.
    Family sources said that Soje had been going through a tough patch occasioned by financial pressure and non-payment of his salary for 11 months.

    He was said to have sold his car and a yet-to-be completed three-bedroom bungalow he was putting up at the Otokiti area of Lokoja.

    The property, said a source, was sold at a give away price of N1.5 million in April, to meet pressing family needs.

    According to the source, Soje’s woes was compounded when the wife gave birth to a set of triplets through caesarian operation in a private hospital in Abuja on October 7.

    He remained at the hospital looking after the wife and new norm children til October 13, a day before their naming ceremony, when he returned to Lokoja.

    On his return to Lokoja, Soje was said to have headed straight to his bank, where he withdrew the N30,000 balance in his account, and thereafter notified the bank in writing, of his decision to close the account.

    He subsequently returned to the hospital in Abuja, and handed over the N30,000 to the wife.

    Soje and wife were joined by two clergymen and some relatives for a brief naming ceremony of the triplets in the hospital.

    He later left the hospital with the excuse that he wanted to pick some things from the wife’s apartment in Abuja with a promise to come back quickly.

    But for hours, he did not return and did not pick any of the many calls made to his telephone line, a development which forced the wife to send somebody to the house to go and ascertain what was happening to him.

    The person, on getting to the apartment knocked the door severally but got no response and thereafter called his telephone number. On hearing  the telephone ring out from the apartment, he was said to have knocked severally again but no response, which made him seek the help of neighbours to force open the door.
    On entering the apartment, they saw Soje’s mobilevhandset placed on a suicide note on the centre table in the sitting room, while he was nowhere to be found.

    When the wife was informed, she quickly contacted people for a search for him in Abuja while relations and friends in Lokoja were also informed of the development.

    Efforts made to locate him did not yield result until relations decided to visit hospitals in Lokoja, where the corpse of Soje was found in the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja on Friday, October 20.
    A family member said that the management of the hospital explained to them that Soje’s corpse was brought in by the police who found it dangling on a tree.

    He described the late Soje as a very quiet and lovable human being.

    He said that some members of the family have been sent to Abuja to break the news to the wife.
  • Doctors strike: Patients urged to resolve issues

    Doctors strike: Patients urged to resolve issues

    Patients at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, have appealed to the Federal Government and the striking doctors to employ dialogue as a strategy to the resolves issues to end the strike.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the National Association of Resident Doctors, (NARD) had on Sept. 4 directed its members nationwide to embark on an indefinite strike to pressurise government to meet its demands.

    The strike notice was signed by Dr John Onyebueze and Dr Aneke Emmanuel, the National President and Secretary of (NARD).

    One of the patients at the hospital, Mr Famous Abba, who came for routine check up, said that government should look into the demands of the resident doctors in the interest of the poor patients.

    “By now, the nation should have gone over the issue of strikes in our health institutions, and other crucial sectors.

    “Government should make the doctors’ welfare a priority to avoid frequent strikes; we all know their importance to the people and the larger society.

    “The clinic routine is not on today because some of the doctors are on strike and this makes the process to be slow causing unnecessary delay for patients,” he said.

    Another patient, Mrs Grace Hector, commended the hospital management and other doctors on ground for managing the patients in spite of the ongoing doctors’ strike.

    “We never believe that this matter can get to this stage though, it is a bit slow as you can see we are still being attended to accordingly.

    “We still want the government to please resolve the issues with the striking doctors so that the services can improve,” she said.

  • Suspected Kogi Lassa fever patient goes for further test in Edo — Official

    Suspected Kogi Lassa fever patient goes for further test in Edo — Official

    Authorities at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja said they had discovered a suspected Lassa fever patient.

    Dr Jones Taiwo, the Head of Clinical Services (HCS) of FMC Lokoja told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on
    Sunday that the female patient had been transferred to Irua General Hospital in Edo for further test to confirm if her disease was Lassa fever.

    He, however, said that clinical tests carried out by FMC showed symptoms of Lassa fever on the patient.

    The Kogi Commissioner for Health, Dr Saka Audu, told NAN that the female patient had been confirmed positive of Lassa fever
    at the Irua General Hospital where she was transferred to.

    The commissioner, however, said that the state government was working toward tracing all those who might have had contact with the patient.

    Audu added that the state’s Rapid Response Team (RRT) was on top of the situation to curtail the spread of the disease.

    He added that “it is a sad incident but our RRT has commenced thorough contact tracing and monitoring.

    “Community sensitisation and education is currently ongoing and by God’s grace, we hope to arrest the spread of the disease.

    “We will continue to inform and educate the public as RRT works assiduously to contain further spread of the disease. We, therefore, appeal for cooperation and calm.”

  • Two die in Ogun auto crash

    Two persons were confirmed dead in a road accident involving a blue Toyota Corolla car and a Toyota picnic bus at Olodo area, on Abeokuta/Ibadan Expressway in Ogun.

    Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi, the Public Relations Officer (PRO), Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE) in Ogun, confirmed the accident to newsmen in Abeokuta on Tuesday.

    Akinbiyi explained that the accident occurred on Monday evening due to wrong overtaking by the driver of the Toyota Corolla car.

    He stated that the two vehicles had three occupants each, saying that the dead were the drivers of both vehicles.

    Akinbiyi said, “The accident involved a Toyota Corolla car with registration number KSF 846 EF and a Toyota picnic bus with registration number RLG 61 AA.

    “The driver of the Toyota Corolla car tried to overtake the Toyota Picnic space bus which resulted in collision that led to the crash.

    “The vehicles had three passengers each when the accident occurred, three male and three female but the drivers of both vehicles died in the accident.”

    The official said that the victims were taken to Omo Arewa Clinic in Odeda while one female in critical condition was rushed to Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.

  • Imo CP commiserates with FRCN over death of staff

    Imo CP commiserates with FRCN over death of staff

    The Commissioner of Police in Imo, Mr. Chris Ezike, has commiserated with the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) over the death of its staff, Mr. Eddy Anyanwu.

    Ezike confirmed the news of the death of Anyanwu to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Owerri on Wednesday.

    He said that Anyanwu’s death was a big blow to both FRCN, his family and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the late Anyanwu slumped at the Imo Trade and Investment Centre on Monday.

    He was covering a meeting between Valentine Ntomchukwu, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of South-East zone, and eminent personalities in the state.

    Anyanwu was rushed to Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, with the assistance of the police but was confirmed dead in the early hours of Wednesday.

    The late Anynawu, who hailed from Ezinihite in Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo, was until his death, a presenter at the FRCN office.

    The Commissioner of Police described him as a committed and hardworking journalist who took his duties very seriously.

    “The news of Anyanwu’s death came to me as a big shock.

    “I want to condole with FRCN and his entire family and pray that God will give them the fortitude to bear the great loss,” he said.

  • Medical workers’ strike grounds activities at FMC Yenagoa

    The current strike by some medical workers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Yenagoa, has grounded activities at the hospital.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some categories of health workers in the hospital went on strike last week to protest non-payment of their two months’ salary.

    Checks at the hospital on Tuesday showed that most of the wards were locked while others had few patients.

    Some of the union officials barricaded the entrance to the hospital, thereby compelling patients and visitors to use the exit gate.

    However, skeletal services were available at the Accident and Emergency Unit and the National Health Insurance Clinic.

    Following the closure of the records section of the hospital, the doctors resorted to the use of exercise books as temporary folders.

    Mr Bernard Akpedi, the Public Relations Officer of the hospital, who spoke to NAN,described the strike as regrettable and unfortunate.

    Akpedi said that the workers embarked on strike because they were owed two months’ salary arrears.

    He said that the hospital management was making efforts to pay them, adding “as we speak, one month has been paid, while we anticipate the payment of the remaining this week.”

    “The management had appealed to the workers to consider the plight of our patients during our meeting before the strike, assuring them that we were about to pay one month.

    “But at the joint congress of the unions, they unanimous agreed to go on strike, but we have continued to appeal to them to return to work.”

     

  • Women at menopause can bear children – Expert

    Dr Omuku Samuel, a gynaecologist at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, has said women at menopause can still bear children with the aid of Invitro- Fertilisation (IVF).

    Samuel stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Yenagoa on Wednesday.

    He explained that the oestrogen of such women that were lost could be regenerated medically to keep them healthy and strong to bear children again.

    ‘‘The IVF process is not difficult. It is normally carried out with the help of doctors.

    ‘‘The process is by joining the female and male sperms together; this can help the persons to have many kids as they want.

    ‘‘Menopause does not start suddenly, it occurs gradually and it can take up to five years before it can be noticed’’, he said.

    ‘‘Menopause starts between the ages of 45 and 55 in a woman. Yes, there are some components that make the woman look younger like the oestrogen hormones.

    ‘‘Once a woman lacks such component, her breast and vagina become dry.

    “It is the oestrogen that maintains the woman’s private part; signs of menopause include waist and back pain, heat and hot flashes.

    ‘‘I am advising women with menopause not to lose hope because IVF can make them to reproduce children again”, Samuel said.