The Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) Specialist Hospital, Minna has successfully performed its first brain surgery on a 19-year-old boy who had sustained severe brain injury and skull fracture during a road crash.
The team of surgeons was led by Consultant Neurosurgeon, Dr Uthman Uthman who performed the brain surgery in two hours.
Another team of surgeons led by Orthopedic surgeons Abdullahi Mohammad and Mustapha Ibrahim also performed its first total knee replacement surgery after many decades.
The team operated on a 65-year-old woman with bilateral advanced osteoarthritis of the knee.
The Consultant Neurosurgeon, Dr Uthman Uthman who performed the brain surgery while speaking to newsmen after the surgery said that he and his team decided to embark on the surgery to give back to the state and to show that such surgeries can be done in the state.
“I have noticed that a lot of varying neurologic surgical cases get referred from Niger State to us in Abuja, especially the emergencies which mostly arrive late; like traumatic brain injuries, strokes, and spinal cord injuries and who may pass away before obtaining care or become complicated. There are also cases like brain tumours that come to us late and helpless.
“The absence of neurocritical care and a neurological surgeon in Niger state has contributed to the preventable and salvageable high morbidity and mortality from these cases. As a surgeon who hails from Niger State, this is part of our efforts to give back to the state”, he said
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago has applauded the medical team and Management of the IBB Specialist Hospital Minna for the successful first neurological and knee surgeries performed at the Hospital.
He describes the development as a milestone achievement and a breakthrough in his administration adding that his administration desires to continue to revamp and improve the health sector to provide effective medical services of all kinds to the citizenry, and also end foreign medical trips.
He assured the Management of the IBB Specialist Hospital Minna, under the leadership of the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Bala Waziri that his administration will continue to provide all the necessary support that will take the Health Institution to greater heights.
The Chief Medical Director of the IBB Specialist Hospital, Dr Bala Waziri said with the commitment of the current administration to health, neurocritical care in Niger State is achievable.
