As part of its efforts to reduce the burden of infertility in the country, the management of Lagos University Hospital (LUTH) Idi Araba has reactivated and refurbh
Medical Director (CMD) of LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, yesterday, at the re-commissioning of the Centre said: “Our IVF centre has started working already because I told Prof. Giwa Osagie, ‘before you leave this compound you must reestablish IVF.’ Osagie is the joint pioneer of IVF in Nigeria with Prof. Oladapo Ashiru.
Bode said the event is significant in the history of the hospital even as he congratulated Giwa-Osagie, the IVF Cordinator; and Prof. Oladapo Ashiru, Managing Director of Medical Art Centre, Ikeja. He described them as “The Elephant of the project.”
Immediate past CMD of LUTH, Prof. Akin Oshibogun, gave credit to the IVF department for deciding on what was priority to them by creating an IVF centre, he also congratulated the CMD for making it happen in his tenure.
Oshibogun noted that the conceptualization of IVF in West Africa started in LUTH. “It was the vision of those who could see beyond the cloud,” he said.
Giwa-Osagie the coordinator of the IVF Centre in LUTH enumerated the genesis of IVF, saying that it started in 1981 but in 1984 full clinical services commenced.
Giwa-Osagie pointed out how IVF works. “We get the egg of the woman and stimulate the ovary to produce more eggs to increase the chances to be fertilized, because the more eggs you have, the more chances you have to be fertilized,” he added.
He said the self-effort of himself and Ashiru resulted in the delivery of the first IVF baby in March 1989. Between 1984 and 1994, the IVF programme treated over 20 cases.
Giwa-Osagie said IVF was not sustainable since there was no institutional and governmental support to back it up. “Thereafter IVF services were available in Nigeria,” he said.
Giwa-Osagie further explained: “Following government support, there was establishment of IVF centres in public health institutions in Nigeria and the new LUTH’s Assistant Conception Centre was commenced in January 2014, following procurement of the IVF equipment.
“The full commencement of IVF services in LUTH had to wait for the ideal environment to be created by the current LUTH management, so the hospital has decided to recruit workers and admit patients. We have been doing that quietly but will be doing it openly from tomorrow. ”
He said the price of IVF services would be affordable compared to other IVF centres in Nigeria. “People must see that there is an advantage in coming to public hospital,” he said.
Giwa-Osagie noted that the event marks the return of IVF to where it first started in West Africa-LUTH. “I just feel we should start our own and I am happy this has come to LUTH, which is in the global map with regards to the development of IVF.”
Speaking on behalf of the Head of Obstetrics/Gynaecology in LUTH, Prof. Olasurubomi Ogedengbe, the consultant of IVF, Dr. Joseph Olamijulo urged that there must be quality control measures to start effective IVF process in LUTH.
He stated that the whole essence of IVF exercise was to kindle the hope of Nigerian women by proffering solution to infertility problem in the state and indeed the country. “So all hands must be on deck to see it is actualized,” he added.
