Critical care services in Nigeria like other West African countries
had been hampered by government apathy towards funding of hospitals
capital and manpower flight overseas.
Recently, things are somewhat improving with the government’s
willingness to invest more in healthcare, and clampdown on resource
diversion in the country.
To save capital flight overseas and provide improved health care
services, the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba (NARHY) Lagos
under the Command of Brig. Gen. CB Wanda, Consultant ENT Surgeon last
Tuesday, Commissioned the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital
during its annual medical lecture.
Speaking during the occasion, obviously elated Wanda, the Commander
of 68 NARHY said that the new Intensive Care Unit is meant to serve both
military and civilian patients of the hospital who are in need of
critical care.
An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit
or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or critical care unit (CCU) or
Emergency Treatment Unit, is a special department of a hospital or
health care facility that provides intensive care medicine.
Intensive care units cater to patients with severe and
life-threatening illnesses and injuries, which require constant, close
monitoring and support from specialist equipment and medications in
order to ensure normal bodily functions.
According to him, the era of moving patients from 68 NARHY to other
hospitals like Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to obtain
similar services is gone.
To this effect, the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) surgeon said that
the hospital is now fully equipped and ready to serve patients with
severe and life-threatening illnesses and injuries, which require
constant, close monitoring and support from specialist equipment and
medications in order to ensure normal bodily functions.
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L-r : Corps Commander,
Medical/Consultant anesthetist, Maj Gen OA Ogunbiyi and Brig Gen CB
Wanda,
Consultant Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) Surgeon/ Commander of 68
Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba (NARHY) Lagos cutting the tape
during the commissioning of the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital,
last Tuesday.
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He also said that the 68 NARHY ICU is staffed by highly trained
doctors and nurses who specialise in caring for critically ill-patients.
It is also distinguished from normal hospital wards by a higher
staff-to-patient ratio and access to advanced medical resources and
equipment that is not routinely available elsewhere, he said, adding
that common conditions including, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
(ARDS) trauma, multiple organ failure and sepsis can now be treated at
68 NARHY ICU.
He also explained that patients may be transferred directly to an
intensive care unit from an emergency department if required, or from a
ward if they rapidly deteriorate, or immediately after surgery if the
surgery is very invasive and the patient is at high risk of
complications.
Highlights of the occasion were the lectures presented by the Corps
Commander Medical, Maj. Gen. OA Ogunbiyi CMH and the guest lecturer, Dr
Ibironke Desalu, Associate Professor of Anaesthesia of the Lagos
University Teaching Hospital.
Wanda who is the Commander of 68 NARHY further observed that the
Intensive Care Unit was developed by the previous Commander Maj. Gen.
PAA Falola, Consultant, Ophthalmology and completed by him.
He encouraged those who have patients in need of intensive care to
avail themselves of the opportunity presented by the new Intensive Care
Unit.
Commenting, the guest lecturer, Dr. Desalu, that this is good and
landmark development in the management of the critically ill patients
and commended 68 NARHY for such an achievement.
The first ICU in Nigeria was established at the University of Nigeria
Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, in 1973, following the successful
management of cardiac surgery patients there. Subsequently, other
Federal Universities/tertiary care centres developed their own ICUs.
The ICU was commissioned by the Maj. Gen. Ogunbiyi alongside the guest speaker and other guests in attendance.
The memorable event was attended by eminent scholars from many
private, specialist and public hospitals, including LUTH, National
Orthopaedic among others.
This story was published in Newswatch Times on December 31, 2015.
