ABUTH Records First Breakthrough in Open Heart Surgery

Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti

A team of medical experts at the Multi -system Afe Babalola University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti (ABUTH) in collaboration with their foreign partners, have recorded a major breakthrough in open heart operation in the hospital.

This was disclosed at a ceremony held at the university marking the review of the landmark and successful cardiovascular surgical operations.

During the review, the team of experts led by Professors Tayo Adeleke and Paul Davies, US-based Cardiologists, disclosed that they were able to record successes in all the patients operated upon due to the dexterity of the medical personnel in ABUTH and good equipment in the hospital.

Adeleke advised that for the heart to be in good shape, all Nigerians must conduct a routine check on their blood pressure, which has been identified as the chief cause of heart failure globally.

Adeleke added that the experts from the US have successfully performed over  10,000 open heart surgeries for a period spanning  21 years.

He added: “High blood pressure is a silent killer. It is the major cause of kidney failure, heart failure and sudden death among our population.

“The life expectancy in Cuba is 81, that of USA is 80, so for Nigeria, which life expectancy is less than 50 to get to that level, the focus must be on the health sector.

“Good equipment and personnel must be provided in our hospitals the way Babalola has done in ABUTH.

“You can get quality health delivery here in ABUTH with what we have seen. With this hospital, I don’t think there is a need for medical tourism again in Nigeria.”

 Babalola described the breakthrough as a celebration of a memorable success in the medical history of the country.

Saluting the experts, Babalola added that Nigerian Doctors and other professionals are as brilliant as their counterparts overseas, but were being under-utilised by the level of decadence in the system occasion by the paucity of equipment.

“It is sad that our people and hospitals are not well equipped, they have no exposure to the right technology and that was why I established this university to make up for the gap.

“So, my advise to the students is that you must be ready to embrace the revolution we are pioneering here in ABUTH.

“We are partnering some hospitals in Sao Paulo, Brazil, India, Germany, and Dubai to expose our students to better training in the course of being here “, he said.

The Chief Medical Director of the ABUAD’s hospital, Prof. Ola  Esan, said the hospital was set up barely a year ago to educate students and to ensure the delivery of highest medical service and to stop the continuous outflow of patients and money overseas.

He said the medical facility has personnel and equipment to perform all forms of cardiovascular surgeries and other afflictions.

“The surgeries performed were done in a speed that had never been done before in Nigeria and in a manner comparable to how best it could be done anywhere across the globe.

Two of the beneficiaries, Tayo Akomolafe and Bukola Balogun, expressed happiness over the free health services they enjoyed from ABUTH.

Akomolafe said: “I came from Lagos after I had been diagnosed with complex heart problem. I was taken to the theatre and after 30 minutes, things were okay with me.

“The equipment I saw was of the state- of- the- art status and can compare with what you can get anywhere and my advice is that Nigerians should not go abroad for medical treatment, you can get it here in Ado Ekiti.”

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