Abia Hospital Performs First Brain Surgery

Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia, in the state capital, has conducted its first major brain surgery on a 19-year-old male patient.

It was conducted by the hospital’s multidisciplinary team, comprising Dr Uko Kalu Uko, Prof. Enoch Uche and the anaesthetic team led by Dr Nosike Erondu and others.

The patient had been rushed to the hospital on Sunday in an unconscious state following a motorcycle accident.
Medical investigations revealed that he had a life-threatening collection of blood within the his skull, which required urgent neurosurgical intervention.

The four-hour emergency surgery which lasted from 4pm to 8pm, involved opening the skull to evacuate the blood and control further bleeding.

After the surgery, the patient was transferred to the hospital’s intensive care unit, where he is currently making satisfactory post-operative recovery.

Reacting to the development, the chief medical director of the hospital, Dr Chimezie Okwuono, said it is a significant milestone in the hospital’s drive to provide quality services.

Okwuonu noted that it came on the heels of the ongoing efforts by Governor Alex Oti to retrofit, equip and reposition public health institutions across the state.

He lauded Uche, who is the state commissioner for Health, for his efforts at strengthening the state’s health institutions in line with the governor’s healthcare transformation agenda.
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‎While addressing the media on this week’s state Executive Council meeting, the commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu described it as a much more efficient medical procedure.
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‎”The successful procedure demonstrates what the government is doing and the kind of investment we should continue to make in healthcare,” he stated.
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The commissioner said the medical milestone followed sustained efforts by the state government over the past two years to reposition the health sector.
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‎”This medical milestone follows sustained efforts by the Abia State Government over the past two years to reposition the health sector,” he added.