The Cardiology unit of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), in collaboration with Cardiostart International recently embarked on a two-tier cardiovascular mission for less privileged patients with heart diseases. The mission, which involved open heart surgeries and cardiac interventional surgeries, kicked off on Friday, 14th October.
LASUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo thanked the Cardiostat team for its keen and passionate interest in the last spanned eight years in the healthcare system in Lagos and LASUTH in particular.
He said that the team’s effort has helped to improve the standards in the provision of healthcare solutions in LASUTH and has given unquantifiable hope to many families who had otherwise thought that their loved ones might never access the required intervention.
Fabamwo acknowledged that the partnership is no doubt a beneficial one, and the management of the hospital is not taking the effort for granted.
United States-based cardiothoracic surgeon, Dr Emily Farkas commended the effort of the LASUTH cardiac team.
While making comparisons with when Cardiostat first became involved with the hospital, Farkas, who is also the incoming President of Cardiostat International, described the progress as phenomenal. She said her team is currently performing just a supportive role to the in-house cardiac surgeons as the latter have become almost perfect at what they do.
She said that the quantum leap by the hospital to provide a cardiac catheterisation laboratory is commendable as more surgeries could be done and more lives saved.
She, therefore, promised continuous support of Cardiostat to provide equipment, consumables to the hospital on all fronts.
The Head of LASUTH Cardiac Team and Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Dr Bode Falase said that the unit is resolved to providing high level of cardiovascular care to the patients in Lagos State and Cardiostat has helped the hospital to achieve this dream to a large extent.
He said that, in the over 18 years of cardiac care in LASUTH, several giant strides have been taken and all hands are on deck not to lose momentum, but to increase the number of lives saved on a daily basis, which is the ultimate goal.
Falase said that the aspiration to become the best cardiac centre could only be achieved by increasing the capacity to test and consult with more patients. That way, he said cases can be diagnosed at the earlier stages and patients may have more chances of full and quick recovery, unlike when cases have deteriorated and have become high risk.
In his overview of the mission, LASUTH’s Head of Interventional Cardiology, Dr Seye Oladimeji said that the main aim is to further set a pace for interventional cardiology practice in LASUTH and Nigeria. He emphasised that the hospital had started interventional cardiac procedures before now, but the presence of the more experienced Cardiostart team would ensure quicker advanced skill transfer.
Oladimeji expatiated on the cost relief the mission had on the patients. He said, the battery of the Cardiac Resynchronisation Therapy Device (CRTD) alone cost N3.5 million, which is exclusive of hospital admissions fees and procedures, among others. He noted that the financial burden would have discouraged a lot of patients, who now pay next to nothing for their treatment.
The Cardiostat team performed three open heart surgeries and over 30 cardiac intervention surgeries during the one-week mission. They also provided multimillion naira devices for the indigent patients, these include four CRTDs, eight Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators, seven pacemakers and stents for angiography and angioplasty procedures.
