Healthcare: LASUTH, Foundation partner to offer patients cardiovascular treatment

*The Management Staff of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital and experts from Cardiovascular Education Foundation say the aim of the partnership is to provide relief for patients who cannot afford the needed healthcare

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

The Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in partnership with the Cardiovascular Education Foundation, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has commenced a cardiac mission intervention targeted at offering treatment to patients with cardiovascular diseases.

ConsumerConnect reports Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, Chief Medical Director (CMD) of LASUTH, stated this at a press conference organised Friday to commence the programme in Lagos.

Fabanwo described the intervention as a landmark event.

The LASUTH CMD said: “What we are doing here today is about interventional cardiovascular procedures that we have lined up for some of our less privileged patients in collaboration with Cardiovascular Education Foundation.

“This is another landmark event for LASUTH and it is made possible because we are open for partnership, alliances and association with willing partners, and this has helped us over the years.”

He also stated: “They have come to LASUTH at the right time because few months ago, we partnered an organisation to set-up a cardiac catheterisation laboratory, which happens to be the first and only functional lab of its kind in any public institution in Nigeria.

“Since the set-up of the laboratory, we have been doing cases but with this mission the scope of the lab will be put to good use because a lot of procedures are going on in the lab.”

Fabanwo further said: “They are also working side by side with our experts withing so that skills can be transferred.”

The CMD lauded the Cardiovascular Education Foundation for identifying with the state-owned hospital and providing medical interventions to patients.

He said: “The missioners in their kindness and magnanimity brought with them all the very expensive materials needed for some of the procedures.

“The patients are paying virtually next to nothing for the procedures and this is a very commendable gesture.”

The medical professionals  urged Nigerians to maintain healthy lifestyles to avoid cardiovascular diseases.

In his remarks at the event, Dr. Obi Emerole, President of Cardiovascular Education Foundation, noted the aim of the partnership is to provide relief for patients who cannot afford the care they need.

Emerole said: “Over the next week one week, we will be providing care to a lot of patients and this will include, Geographic Variation, implantation of pacemakers, implantation of cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) among others.

“This is an opportunity for close to 20 patients who will not ordinarily be able to afford the care they need.”

The President of the Foundation stated: “It is also an opportunity for skills transfer to some of the Nigeria based cardiologists and at the same time, we will be able to learn from them.

“I must commend the effort of LASUTH cardiologists for having done the ground work so that this intervention can commence immediately,” the U.S. based consultant cardiologists said.

According to him, the Foundation will continue to partner with LASUTH with a view to making the health institution a premier destination for cardiovascular education training, research and patients care in Sub-sahara Africa.