From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation (SEOF) and the Vincent Ohaju Obioma Memorial (VOOM) Foundation have joined forces to facilitate open-heart surgeries for underserved Nigerians.
The fourth bi-annual Open-Heart Surgery Medical Mission and Community Health Fair will take place from October 20th to November 11th at the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital in Oraifite, Anambra State.
Over the past two years, the collaboration has successfully carried out more than 43 open-heart surgeries and provided free or subsidised healthcare to over 4,000 individuals in underserved communities across Nigeria.
During the medical mission, children will receive open-heart surgeries at no cost, while adults will benefit from surgeries at reduced rates.
In addition to the surgeries, the mission will provide capacity-building training and skills enhancement for local medical staff in the healthcare sector. The programme will also offer primary healthcare services to local communities in Oraifite.
The Acting General Manager of the SEOF, Emmanuel Ilomuanya, expressed the foundation’s commitment to improving healthcare access and the lives of those in need. Ilomuanya highlighted the VOOM Foundation’s essential role in achieving these accomplishments and emphasized their determination to make a significant impact on Nigeria’s healthcare landscape.
Dr Chimaobi Nwagboso, Chief Medical Director of the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, emphasized the high rates of heart-related diseases in Nigeria, which often lead to preventable deaths. Nwagboso praised the mission as a significant step toward improving the Nigerian healthcare system. He stressed that by investing more in training doctors and providing equipment, more lives could be saved.
The Executive Director of the VOOM Foundation, Shawn Andaya-Pulliam, outlined the foundation’s commitment to transforming healthcare delivery and improving access to quality medical services in Nigeria.
Andaya-Pulliam emphasized the foundation’s goals of training and educating local medical staff while ensuring that services are provided to those who struggle to afford open-heart procedures.
She expressed pride in partnering with the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital and the Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation to provide the highest level of healthcare.
The medical mission represents a beacon of hope for underserved Nigerians in need of critical open-heart surgeries.
It is believed that with the dedication and resources of the SEOF and VOOM Foundation, more lives can be saved, and the Nigerian healthcare system can continue to improve.
