UPTH set for open-heart surgery, procures equipment

Blames high maternal mortality rate on poverty

Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Prof. Henry Ugboma, has said the university will commence open-heart surgeries before end of the year.

The CMD made the disclosure at the weekend during the launch of Safe Birth Initiative in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, sponsored by Coca-Cola in collaboration with Medshare International and Federal Ministry of Health.

Ugboma said that with the delivery of two heart and lung machines, the hospital is equipped to begin treatment of infants born with cardiovascular diseases, adding that the hospital has competent team of thoracic surgeons to carry out the first open-heart surgery in the hospital.

He said: “We are looking forward to starting the process of open-heart surgery in this hospital before the year runs out because we have the manpower, those trained in this field, especially thoracic surgeons.
 
“Because there is a case where some children born with heart diseases die because they cannot afford the expenses associated with healthcare and no equipment to do such procedure, but this team has made it possible that this equipment is with us today as we are going to start infants open-heart surgery soon.”

He blamed high maternal mortality rate on poverty and high cost of service delivery, pointing out that about 1,200 pregnant mothers register in the hospital monthly while about 150 deliveries are recorded each month.

He attributed the shortfalls to pregnant mothers resorting to traditional birth attendants due to the high cost of service in the hospital. He noted that UPTH, being a beneficiary of maternal and neonatal health equipment and two heart and lungs machines, lives of children born with cardiovascular disease would be saved, adding that it will reduce maternal mortality and cost of child delivery

MEANWHILE, the sponsor of Safe Birth Initiative, Coca-Cola Nigeria Limited has said the idea is to strengthen the healthcare system across the country. According to the Director, Public Affairs, Communication and Sustainability of Coca-Cola Nigeria, Nwamaka Onyemelukwe, most of the equipment donated were already used at the hospitals abroad but fully functional.

She said: “This is an initiative of the Coca-Cola company, launched in 2018 to strengthen the healthcare system across the country and this hospital is one of the eight beneficiaries.”