Lagos Inaugurates CCU to Perform Open Heart Surgery

Rebecca Ejifoma

The Lagos State Government has inaugurated a state-of-the-art critical care unit (CCU) at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), as efforts to perform open heart surgery and reduce the number of persons flying abroad to seek medical checkup.

Speaking at the inauguration, the State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode said the facility would save about $3 billion spent annually on foreign medical tourism, adding that the government was strongly committed to the establishment of a world-class Medical Park at the site of the old School of Nursing in Ikoyi.

According to him, “this medical facility by design and operation will be deployed in the care of those in dire health condition that hitherto predisposes our people towards foreign medical tourism. It will complement the capacity of the existing Intensive Care Unit (ICU) established over a decade.

“The combined capacity of two healthcare facilities will enhance the status of LASUTH and the Lagos State University College of Medicine as true centres for medical training and research,” he added.

Represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tunji Bello, he assured of the state’s continuous commitment towards strengthen its health institutions and up scaling the human capital. “We have concluded plans to revamp and upgrade the health facilities in the state through the injection of 10 billion naira in the next few weeks. Primary focus will be on the procurement of critical modern medical equipment and infrastructure upgrade.”

Meanwhile, the Medical Director of the Unit, Dr. Ade Tinubu, said the CCU was originally an idea of Dr. Leke Pitan (former Commissioner for Health, Lagos). “But after the first surgery I was conscripted into running the unit for the hospital.” He assured his availability in the CCU if there was any issue that may come up regarding patients’ satisfaction.