Health
LASUTH Performs First Non-surgical Repair Of Heart Hole
A surgical repair of a hole in the heart defect has been successfully completed at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, or LASUTH.
The treatment, called Ventricular Septal Defect Closure in medical jargon, was performed by specialists at the hospital’s cardiac catheterization lab.
The health institution declared the accomplishment to be the first of its type at a public tertiary health institution in Nigeria while announcing it in a series of tweets on its Twitter account @LASUTHikeja.
An Interventional Cardiologist at the hospital, Dr. Oluwaseye Oladimeji, said with this development, “patients now have options to open heart surgery”.
The tweets read as follows: “As a public tertiary health institution, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) is never resting on it oars, in its provision of quality health solutions to the residents of Lagos State, Nigeria and the World at large.
“On Tuesday, the 20th of June, 2023, at the hospital’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory, experts carried out a first of its kind procedure called Ventricular Septal Defect Closure (VSD), in a tertiary health institution.
“According to Dr. Oluwaseye Oladimeji, a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist in LASUTH, described the procedure as one being performed on patients born with a hole in the heart. He revealed that ’there are two ways to deal with holes in the heart. One is to perform an open heart surgery, while the other way, is to do a non-surgical closure’.
”Dr. Oladimeji defined VSD as a type of heart procedure that closes a hole between the left and right ventricles of the heart. He said this can be done without making an incision in the chest wall and the defect can be closed using a disc-like device.
“The Consultant Cardiologist said, ‘patients who undergo this procedure can be discharged two hours after VSD closure and they can be on their way home.’
“It is worthy of note that, different kinds of procedures have been carried out in LASUTH’s Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. So far, over 120 procedures have been successfully performed since the inception of this laboratory in the second quarter of year 2022.
“The efforts of the current distinctive hospital management and staff, led by the unwavering and efficient Chief Medical Director, Prof. Adetokunbo O. Fabamwo, has produced continuous improvement in the delivery of excellent healthcare services in LASUTH.”
An atrial septal defect, also known as an ASD, is a hole in the heart that occurs between the atria, the upper chambers of the heart. Blood passes through the lungs more frequently as a result of the hole.
One of the most prevalent congenital heart defects (present at birth), the problem happens when one of the gaps in the wall dividing the baby’s upper chambers does not shut as it develops during pregnancy.
Health
JUST IN: JOHESU Launches Nationwide Strike Over Unresolved Demands
Members of the Joint Health Sector Unions and Assembly of Health Care Professionals (JOHESU) have announced a seven-day warning strike set to begin at midnight on Friday.
This action follows a 15-day notice of industrial action issued to the Federal Government.
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Addressing journalists in Abuja, JOHESU’s national chairman, Kabiru Minjibir, outlined the union’s primary demands, emphasizing a need for immediate action to address ongoing concerns affecting healthcare workers across the nation.
Key demands include the urgent implementation of the consolidated health salary structure and the payment of a 25 percent review of arrears from June to December 2023.
The union is also calling for an upward review of the retirement age for healthcare workers, a tax waiver on healthcare workers’ allowances, and the immediate disbursement of COVID-19 inducement hazard allowances.
Minjibir urged all union members nationwide to adhere to the strike directive, underscoring that compliance would be essential in pushing for their demands.
Details shortly………….
Health
Medical Emergency: Journalist, Kola Kuforiji Requires Financial Support
In a world where health is wealth, Kola Kuforiji, a Nigerian journalist who had worked for about two decades with Rhythm FM (Sliverbird Group) reporting business is facing an unthinkable challenge, and needs urgent help.
Kola, a 54-year-old husband and father of two, whose life was turned upside down when he was diagnosed with a drug-resistant, Parkinson’s disease with pronounced difficulty in walking and tremor has been very ill for more than two years and the severity and debilitating nature of his illness has depleted the finances of his family.
He was initially treated at Ikorodu General Hospital, Lagos, where a presumptive diagnosis of his medical condition was made.
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He was over a year ago referred to LASUTH, but there has been little improvement in his health.
Medical treatment abroad now offers the best option for his recovery with a recommendation from Atasehir Medicana International Hospital – Atasehir / Istanbul, Turkey confirming that he will need a Deep Brain Stimulation surgery.
The expected total cost of the Deep Brain Stimulation surgery with traveling expenses is put at $35,000 (USD) about N57 million at recent exchange rate.
Meanwhile friends of Kola have initiated moves to seek financial support from concerned citizens to help bridge the gap and ensure that he receives the care he needs to overcome this challenge.
A bank account to receive fund for the urgent medical intervention has been opened for donation that will bring hope and healing to Kola and his family.
Name of Account: SOS FOR JOURNALIST KOLA KUFORIJI
Account Number: 1790322317
Bank: Polaris Bank
Kola’s story is one of courage, resilience, and determination, but it’s also a story of urgent need.
He had worked for about two decades with Rhythm FM (Sliverbird Group) covering business at large and had contributed immensely to deepening understanding of the economy.
Over the years he has explored his media platform as a strong tool to drive financial inclusion and expanding frontier of knowledge of Nigerians on the activities and stride of the energy, banking and finance sectors at large to national development.
Despite his illness, Kola remains hopeful and determined to overcome.
Use this link to join SOS FOR JOURNALIST KOLA KUFORIJI WhatsApp group https://chat.whatsapp.
Health
Banning Tobacco Sales Could Save 1.2m Lives By 2095 – WHO
A new study from the World Health Organization (WHO) underscores the alarming connection between smoking and lung cancer, the leading cause of cancer-related deaths globally.
The research reveals that smoking accounts for approximately 85% of all lung cancer cases and warns that nearly three million lung cancer deaths could occur among those born between 2006 and 2010 if current trends persist.
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The findings, published in The Lancet Public Health, indicate that implementing a ban on tobacco sales for this generation—approximately 650 million individuals—could prevent about 1.2 million deaths by 2095.
This study is among the first to evaluate the potential impact of creating a tobacco-free generation and draws on data from 185 countries.
The research highlights significant disparities in preventable lung cancer deaths based on gender.
It found that over 45% of lung cancer deaths among men could be avoided, while nearly 31% could be prevented among women.
IARC researcher and co-author Isabelle Soerjomataram noted that the disparity is largely due to targeted marketing by the tobacco industry over the past decades.
Interestingly, the study also suggests that in regions like North America and parts of Europe, ending tobacco sales could lead to more preventable deaths among women than men.
In Western Europe, 78% of potential deaths among women could be averted, compared to nearly 75% among men in Central and Eastern Europe.
While the study offers a glimmer of hope, it cautions that not all lung cancer deaths can be prevented through tobacco sales bans alone.
Other risk factors, such as air pollution and second-hand smoke exposure, also significantly contribute to lung cancer rates.
Several countries have already implemented tobacco-free generation initiatives, including New Zealand, which became the first nation to ban cigarette sales to individuals born after 2008.
However, the new conservative government in New Zealand has announced plans to repeal this measure.
Conversely, the UK’s new Labour government is supportive of a similar initiative that restricts cigarette sales to anyone born after January 2009.
Despite the promising implications of tobacco-free generation policies, the authors of the IARC study stress that these measures must be part of a broader strategy to combat the health crisis posed by tobacco.
They advocate for additional approaches, such as increasing cigarette taxes, creating more smoke-free environments, and providing enhanced support for individuals looking to quit smoking.
As lung cancer remains a leading health challenge, this study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive tobacco control policies to protect future generations and reduce the burden of this deadly disease.