Rivers
UPTH Begins Kidney Transplant, Oct
The management of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) says it would begin kidney transplant by October 2024.
Chairman of Medical Advisory Committee, (MAC), UPTH, Prof Datonye Alasia, gave the timeline for the operation at the hospital grounds presentation by the Renal Department.
Prof Alasia said UPTH is collaborating with the Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas, NLNG, and other organisations to equip the centre for the service.
“NLNG has a foundation where they support healthcare and they have been doing this across the country. So for us, there is an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to equip a dialysis centre, but we felt that would be limited in scope. So, we had to find a way to push it up to align with our plans for a transplantation centre, so that collaboration is there and we are happy to say that NLNG has done something significant.
“They have funded the provision of equipments and some supports to the external works and we are actually at eighty five percent of completion and that’s going to contribute to the success of the project.
“For us, our strategic timeline is October 2024 and that’s what we are working towards, but, of course, if all the assumptions go as we planed, it will be October because we have trainings of staff, people will travel, MoUs will be signed, procurement timelines will also affect us, but our focus is to stay on that date and see that we achieve it”, he said.
On the importance of the Ground rounds presentation, the Chairman said the essence is to get the hospital community and the public to be aware of the services and what’s involved in it.
“For today, we have the Renal Department presenting because of the planned renal transplantation and the essence is to create the awareness internally and from the programme you see that it involves different professional groups such as nephrology, pharmacists, paediatricians, nurses, psychologists and virtually everybody in the hospital. So, it is a multi-disciplinary thing.
”This presentation also helps members of the team to have a better understanding of what they are expected to offer, transplant patients and every aspect of the service that will influence the patients journey. We also believe that this would improve that multi-disciplinary team spirit”, he explained.
The MAC Chairman further said UPTH has commenced a transplant clinic to further demonstrate its preparedness for the transplantation programme.
“We have kicked-off the transplant clinic. While it was there, it was not structured specifically to attend to patients before transplant and post transplant, but now there is a deliberate attempt to structure it to make the public know clearly that the transplant clinic is a dedicated service.
“We used to run within the nephrology clinic before and the urology clinic but it’s now a clinic of its own. That’s the first step, the public should know that the service is being offered here as a collaboration and partnership with people such as foundations who have interest to support transplantation and they may now find that since they are aware, they can now interface and network with us to see how they can support because kidney transplantation is a very cost intensive venture”, Alasia said.
Earlier, UPTH Transplant Team Leader, Professor Onyenunam Okeke said the presentation at the Ground Rounds centred on the prospects of starting a kidney transplant programme in UPTH, adding that the hospital has qualified personnel to handle kidney disease cases.
“UPTH has a large team. UPTH is set up as an institution for trainning, Service and for research, but we are highlighting the area of service, so we have a lot of skilled personnel and we have the patients that also requires transplant. We have not started before now but we are in the process of starting the transplant programme”, he explained further.
Okeke disclosed that the programme is part of the management’s strategic programme, saying UPTH is collaborating with organisations and sister institutions to get the service started.
“The present management of the hospital as part of the five years development programme wants to carryout this kidney transplant.
“We cannot do it alone, so we are collaborating with some centres, both locally and internationally, and through the efforts of management, we have a specific building that’s design for it”, he said.
Okeke, who doubles as Deputy Provost, College of Health Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, urged members of the public to know that when kidney fails they can be replaced, stressing that the process of transplantation is safe and for all and sundry.
By: Chinedu Wosu
The Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board (RSPHCMB) says it will commence Supplemental Immunization activities on Saturday, May 3, 2025, to vaccinate children from 0-5 years across the State.
The State Health Educator, Dr. Diana Babbo, who stated this during a sensitisation meeting with Media Advocate for Health, Rivers State, on the update of immunization exercise in Rivers State, said the National Immunization Plus Days (NIPDs) is a re-enforcement of the routine immunization at the health facilities.
According to her, it is aimed at boosting polio immunisation against the circulating variance of polio virus currently threatening the total eradication of polio in the country.
She further stated that there are four pillars of polio eradication, namely routine immunization (administered on babies in the health centre), supplemental immunization activity (supplements to boost the babies), surveillance (searching for children that have weakness in their legs or some oart of their bodies), and outbreak response.
The Health Educator noted that the Novel Oral Polio Vaccination Type 2 (NOPV 2) will be administered to children under the age of 0-5 years, which targets a specific polio still in existence in communities and capable of causing paralysis among the stated categories of children, despite the country being certified a polio-free nation.
Dr. Babbo further stated that this year’s NIPDs will address the high number of unresolved non-compliance cases in the State.
She debunked what she tagged a false rumour by mischief makers which claimed that the vaccines are responsible for the development of autism in children.
She said, “vaccines are not known to be responsible for the development of autism. We’re just hearing that. The truth is that one cannot know everything.
“That aspect that has been found, have we looked into other aspects, such as genetically modified foods, drinks, and milks that our children are taking?
“Have we also looked at genetic compatibility between couples before we now say vaccines are causing x, y, z things?
“Are we looking at the environment where these things are happening, what they are peculiar to?
“It must not be peculiar to all the families, there could be something also that’s happening around that we have not known. Research is evolving, let us not accuse our precious vaccines that have succeeded so far in my knowledge, to keep as many sicknesses at bay.
“The reason we do not have small pox in our world today, apart from the lab (a bio-lab) is because we vaccinated to the point where we were able to move small pox totally out of existence from human beings. We can succeed with that same pattern with all kinds of viruses”.
She stated that the connection between autism and vaccination could merely be coincidence.
Babbo, therefore, urged all parents, churches, and school owners to avail their children/wards the opportunity to be vaccinated against polio the stated exercise.
Sogbeba Dokubo
Engr Obi Fortune, a renowned philanthropist, has donated 80 desks to four secondary schools in Etche Local Government Area of Rivers State. The donation is part of his commitment to advancing education in the area.
The schools that benefited from the gesture includes- Community Secondary School Umuoye.
Community Secondary School Akwa- Government Secondary School Ozuzu and Community Primary School Okehi 2 and all the schools got 20 units each of the desks.
Speaking during the brief handing-over ceremony held recently in okehi recently, Engr Obi stated that the donation fulfills his promise to use proceeds from his book sales to procure desks for schools in the LGA.
He disclosed that more desks will arrive soon and expressed his continued commitment to supporting education in the area.
Obi urged the schools to make good use of the desks and called on other individuals to contribute to the educational needs in the area.
This gesture demonstrates Engr Obi’s dedication to improving education in Etche LGA.
A professor of social and political philosophy at Rivers State University (RSU ) Nkpolu Oroworukwu port Harcourt, Prof Agha Eresia _Eke has emphasized that citizenship participation is crucial for achieving true democratic government. He stressed that citizens’ involvement in exercising their basic rights, such as freedom of speech, assembly, and religion, is essential for a democratic institution to thrive.
Eresia _Eke stated this while presenting his inaugural lecture at the 111 university’s inaugural lecture series with the topic “Nigeria Democratic practices:a contextual paradox”held at the university senate auditorium in Port Harcourt, last Wednesday.
According to him, core democratic values which include:,- Respect for individual rights and freedoms, Protection of human rights and fundamental freedom, Equality before the law, Freedom of speech, assembly, and association, Protection of privacy and personal autonomy.
“Through out history, the problem that has agitated social and political philosophers has been to work _out a model for the realization of the common good of man.
Man has always sought and developed methods and systems of organising himself according to his true nature as a rational being.”he stated.
Eresia-Eke notes that Nigeria is not practicing a true federalism and highlights the importance of a pragmatic approach to democracy, where ideas and solutions are tested and refined in real-world environments.
He emphasized that citizens must hold their leaders accountable and demand respect for human rights, stressing that by doing so, citizens can undertake their civic obligations and responsibilities, strengthening society as a whole.
Earlier in his address, the Vice chancellor of the university, Prof Zeb _Obipi commended the lecturer for his brilliant performance, adding that he has justified and proven that he is a professor in his area of specialization.
The VC averred that the university has been consistent in the inaugural lecture monthly and assured that his administration will continue to continue to keep the trend.