The Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, has conducted open heart surgeries for seven persons with cardiac problems i.e. hole in the heart.
According to the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Christopher Bode, there is hope of achieving 100 cases of successful cardiac surgeries by next year. He assured that open heart surgery will be a routine at LUTH, stating that the high class treatment was being given at a low price.
He said: “Our charges are as low as N1.7 million for this surgery, compared to the millions they spend travelling abroad for treatment, transportation and cost of feeding, among others. We call on all Nigerians to believe in us and what we do.” He mentioned that a patient was sponsored for the surgery by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) because of its belief in LUTH.
“Moreover, NHIS also donated ventilators to us for the surgery”.
Bode continued: “This gesture made the cost of treatment cheaper. We will be conducting another open heart surgery in the next 60 days. Now, we are screning some patients who require surgery”.
The hospital said the surgery, which costs N1.7 million per patient, was subsidised by its partners.
LUTH Cardiac Project’s chairman, Prof. Jane Ajuluchukwu said: “The first set of open heart surgery in LUTH was conducted in 2014. We operated on three patients and it was successful. Now we have moved higher to seven patients, making 10 patients in total. We have collaborations at international levels. It is multidisciplinary, so we had about 10 disciplines that came together to make sure this was a success.”
