By TONY EDIKE
ENUGU—Neuro-surgeons will today converge on Enugu to adopt new methods of performing brain and spine surgeries locally to discourage Nigerians from seeking treatment oversea. The  two-day conference is titled “Contemporary Spine Management”.

Speaking to newsmen, leader of the group and founding president of the African Federation of Neurosurgical Societies, Prof Sam Ohaegbulam, said experts would dwell extensively on latest discovery in neurological practice.

According to him, the importance of issues to be discussed at the conference informed the reason experts were invited from different parts of the continent.

Prof Ohaegbulam, who is the Chief Medical Director of Memfys Hospital for Neurosurgery Enugu, said emphasis would also be placed on “Hands on Advanced Microsurgical Spine Techniques course”, which will come up before the opening ceremony tomorrow.

Also speaking, Chairman of the local organising committee, Dr Wilfred Mezue, disclosed that the conference, which was being held for the first time in the Eastern part of the country, was jointly being organised by Memfys International Hospital for Neurosurgery Enugu,  Nigerian Academy of Neurological Surgeons and University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu.

Dr. Mezue explained that the conference would provide a platform for  practitioners to exchange ideas with the purpose of enhancing their performance and sharpening their skills in modern brain and spine surgery.

He urged governments, community leaders and parents to encourage their wards to study neurological surgery as the number of registered neurosurgeons was grossly inadequate for a country like Nigeria with over 160 million people.

The medical expert however, regretted that despite the importance of the intellectual gathering to society, especially as it concerns the health of the people, the organizing committee had not received any support from both government and corporate Nigeria.

The LOC chairman assured their visiting members that everything has been put in place to ensure their comfort while in Enugu State.

He congratulated the Board of directors of Memfys Hospital for Neurosurgery Enugu for its massive achievements in health care since its inception in 2002, as well as being the only privately owned hospital in Africa to be accredited for postgraduate training in neurosurgery, with neurosurgical trainees being sponsored by other hospitals in different parts of the country because of its state-of the-art equipment.