…As Nigerian Orthopedics Ass holds 45th conference in Ilorin.
Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has disclosed his administration’s plan to convert the State General Hospital in Ilorin to a teaching hospital and put it under the newly approved Medical Faculty of the State University (KWASU), Malete.
The Governor made the disclosure at the recently concluded 45th Annual Scientific Conference and General Meeting of the Nigerian Orthopedics Association (NOA), a week-long programme that took place in Ilorin.
Represented by the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Raji Rasaq, AbdulRazaq said the government has been putting in place necessary measures to ensure that the project sees the light of the day.
He said that the Hospital has been equipped with state-of-the-art facilities which included the establishment of two Intensive Care Units to take care of critical cases.
AbdulRazaq also said that his recent directive to recruit 125 health workers including doctors and nurses form a part of his government’s strategy to accomplish the set objectives.
He recalled that not less than 500 health personnels had earlier been engaged by the administration.
The administration has not only rehabilitated several hospitals and healthcare centers but also reviewed salaries of the health personnel and built their capacity for an improved working condition and higher productivity, the Governor said, adding that the government is uniquely investing in the sector to make Kwara a haven for medical tourists.
President, Nigerian Orthopaedics Association (NOA), Dr. Mohammed Salihu, in his remarks, admonished the citizens to take genotype tests very seriously, especially ahead of them going into marriage, saying this will serve as a precaution against spreading sickle cell disease in Nigeria.
Dr. Salihu, who spoke to the topic – “Sickle Cell Osteopathy”, explained that Sickle Cell Anemia is a group of disorders that cause red blood cells to become misshapen and break down.
According to him, the cells die early in the affected patients, leading to shortage of healthy red blood cells, thereby blocking blood flow and causing severe pain.
The NOA President, who revealed that the Association ages 45 years of existence, said they are battling with the challenge of the proliferation of quacks in the Country, and vowed never to relent on their mandate to contribute to health development.
Dr. Dada Adedamola, who represented the Minister of Health Dr. Osagie Ehanire at the event, said
the week-long conference was apt, given the spate of health challenges in the Country, and commended the
NOA on their efforts to contain such.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of Local Organising Committee, Dr Bola Ahmed, said a total of 21 patients benefited from the free surgical outreach, being conducted by the Association in partnership with the Kwara State government.
While highlighting that the medical outreach conducted surgeries for patients with foot deformities, spine and angular deformities, Ahmed commended the government for providing the team an enabling environment to succeed during the exercise.
