By Chioma Obinna

Affordable healthcare services including open heart surgery and other kinds of intensive surgeries for children and adults are now available at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH). This development is coming on the heels of the completion of the State’s Cardiac and Renal Centre in Gbagada, Lagos.

Currently, cost of an open heart surgery in LASUTH is N1.2 million which is cheaper than is obtainable elsewhere in the state. There is also possibility of further subsidy provided by the state government.

Disclosing this to Good Health Weekly during the end of a week long Open Heart Mission at the hospital, the Chief Medical Director, Prof. David Oke who recalled that LASUTH began cardiac surgery six years ago, said the successful completion of paediatric open-heart surgery was the latest addition.

Oke who stated that 55 Nigerians have benefited from the cardiac services so far, hinted that another mission was scheduled for August this year. The mission, he said, comprised a team of cardiac surgeons from Rubi Hall India to operate and transfer skills to local cardiac surgeons.

“In most places outside the country, the cost of this surgery is anything between £1,0 million to £2.0 million. Already there is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the state government and the foreign experts.”

He lamented that many heart patients especially children, died, due to lack of funds to facilitate their surgeries. Noting that the sum of N35 million earmarked by the state government for the initiative remained N10 million and was fast running out, he advised Nigerians suffering from heart diseases to take the advantage of the feat.

Giving further insight, a Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Barracket Animasahun of the Department of Paediatric and Child Health, LASUTH, said at the hospital, holes in the heart can now be closed without opening up the hearts. She explained that the holes are closed using a botton or a darkroom patch.

Animasahun, who spoke extensively on prevention, urged pregnant women to avoid indiscriminate use of drugs that may result to congenital heart diseases in babies.

“In the first three months of pregnancy, women should not take herbal mixtures and other drugs without confirmation from a doctor.” She listed danger signs in infants to include; blueish eyes, extra fast breathing at birth, difficulty in breathing, excessive cry, fainting, retarded growth, inability to suck breast for a long time, frequent coughing and admission for pneumonia over and overagain