Ogun FMC carries out 25% of open heart surgeries in Nigeria – MD
The Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu, has disclosed that the hospital has achieved a remarkable milestone in upgrading its medical facilities and securing services of competent surgeons responsible for 25 per cent of all open heart surgeries performed daily in Nigeria.
Musa-Olomu in a statement on Tuesday made this revelation while playing host to the Executive members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ogun State Council, led by its Chairman, Comrade Akinwale Olanrewaju during a courtesy call to his office at FMC, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.
The MD emphasised that the hospital has emerged as a critical player in the country’s healthcare landscape, significantly contributing to the lifesaving procedures made possible by its advanced medical equipment and skilled surgical team.
He explained that going to Ghana or Ivory Coast for open heart surgery would cost close to 100,000 dollars.
Musa-Olomu said, “We are doing about one quarter of all the open heart surgeries that are being done daily in the country .
“If you want to do this surgery, you need close to $100,000 to go to Ghana or Ivory Coast to do the surgery.
“There’s need for the public to know that we have qualified surgeons for this. This underscored why we must collaborate and work together .
”I came in and I saw the need to start open heart surgery in FMC Abeokuta and the surgeon is difficult to get , they are few in the country but we got for our centre.
”The operation is not less than N10million here if we put everything together”.
He noted that the hospital carried out a lot of surgeries , saying that unfortunately, the “Japa” syndrome was eroding manpower in the hospital adding that health workers needed adequate funding for good equipments.
Musa-Olomu also stated that the hospital had acquired Magnetic Resonance Imaging machine which would be installed soon
He said, “I have been looking for MRI machine for the past seven years but I thank God that the hospital got one last year, they will start installing it soon. Cataract extraction is the commonest operation, we do too at FMC but it is because people do not have the information”.
Musa-Olomu, however, emphasised the importance of public awareness regarding the hospital’s capabilities, urging collaboration with the NUJ to ensure more individuals take advantage of these services.
Speaking earlier, the state NUJ Chairman, Comrade Akinwale Olanrewaju, commended the FMC’s management for accelerated turnaround of the hospital.
Olanrewaju said that the development, as witnessed in the last seven year under Musa-Olomu leadership underscored the facility’s crucial role in providing high-quality health services to Nigerians, reducing the necessity for overseas medical treatments, and ultimately saving lives.
While reiterating the importance of continued collaboration between the hospital and the media, the NUJ Chairman assured continued collaboration between journalists and the hospital.
