BMSH To Undertake Hip, Knee Replacements

The Rivers State
Government says Hip and Knee replacement surgeries should be done henceforth at the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH). This is because there are professional specialists who can handle situation of this nature in Rivers State and Nigeria in general.
The Commissioner for Health Dr. Tamunoiyoriari Parker Sampson stated this when a team of doctors and instrumentalist from mathys Europeans Orthopaedics paid him a courtesy visit shortly after supervising total hip and knee replacement surgeries carried out by Orthopaedic surgeon at the Braithwaite memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH) in Port Harcourt.
He avers this statement after his supervision on the hip and knee replacement and he was unvinced that the Nigerians Orthopaedic surgeon who carried out this operation were perfect.
Again, the Commissioner has said carrying out the surgeries at the BMSH is of economic advantage to the government and Nigerians citizens who flee abroad for Hip and knee replacement. The Commissioner added that if this is done in BMSH it will save our government millions of Naira because one knee replacement costs about five million Naira for those going abroad “this will now be done in the house”, Dr. Parker said.
In furtherance, he said health care delivery is not about building structures but the things going on inside the body structures “this is what governor Amaechi calls specialists manpower development this to my mind is one of the biggest legacies the present administration under the leadership of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi is going to live behind for other administration to see”, the Commissioner stressed.
He said arrangements have reached advanced stages to phase out some of the equipments at the BMSH with a view of replacing them with the outdated, stating that upgrading of equipments is an ongong process even in advanced countries because the level of technology increases day after day.
At realier, Dr. Gorgio Grassi and Roland Rufenacht of Mathys European Orthopaedics had expressed gratifude to the Commissioner that they were impressed with the performance of the BMSH Orthopaedic doctors. Reason being that they did not slack in their performances rather they imbibe professionalism in carrying out difficult task as such.
It would be pertinent to recalled that the arthnoplasty programme started in April, 2009 as part of the specialist manpower Development of the Ministry of health. The programme is undertaken with Mathys European Orthopaedics. Since then, three surgical missions have been held by Mathys. A total of 41 patients are beneficiaries of the programme with 53 knees replaced. Three Orthopaedic surgeons and two nurses have been trained in frame and Belgium as part of the programme task.
Similarly, adequate instrumentation has also been acquired to ensure the sustainability of the programme.

Gombe State Specialist Hospital deserted as the Nigeria Medical Association strike continued last Monday.