Kano teaching hospital begins maggot therapy, treats 15 patients

By AHMAD TIJANI, Kano

Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital weekend, announced cure of no fewer than 15 patients through maggots Therapy introduced recently at the tertiary health institution.

Hauwa Muhammad Abdullahi, the Assistant Director Information/Public Relations Unit in a statement made available to INDEPENDENT said maggots Therapy is deployed for treatment of of patients with chronic wounds such as diabetic ulcers osteomyelitis, gangrenous foots.

AKTH media chief’s statement reads: “A Nigerian trained in Iran on Maggot Therapy has treated fifteen (15) patients on Maggot Therapy and charged same number in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano.

Dr Mustaph Ahmed Yusuf a medical Anthologist arrived Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano upon completion of his PHD program as Medical Anthologist from a University in Tehran in the year 2019.

Dr Mustaph shares this in an interview with him at the Orthopedic Ward in AKTH.

“Maggot therapy is the process of debridement/disinfecting of chronic wound in order to promote and achieve quick healing. It is the standard and accepted process of treatment been practice in Developed countries like UK and America in the treatment of patients with chronic wounds such as diabetic ulcers osteomyelitis, gangrenous foots etc.”

He said that for over sixteen years United Kingdom and United States of America have embraced this method because it is a simple bedside procedure which patient don’t have to be taken to the theatre to undergo and that even patient with electrolytes imbalance.

Dr Mustaph said that in some African countries where they have Medical Anthologists maggot therapy is been practice as a means of medical treatment to reduce long periods of staying in the hospital for patients with chronic wounds, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano has been the model for maggot therapy in Nigeria because it is the only tertiary health institution Nigeria that have recently gotten a Medical Anthologist.

He added that Medical Anthologist work in collaboration with Orthopedic and plastic surgeons in the hospital, while Orthopedic surgeons recommended for maggot therapy as the final treatment option before amputation, Plastic surgeons conduct skin graft when wound debridement is achieved, so it is a complementary role in patient care.

Aisha Abubakar 55 year old diabetic patient with gangrenous foot said “Maggot Therapy is wonderful. It was Almighty God that saved my foot from being amputated here in Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. The Orthopedic doctors who will amputate my leg came a day to the surgery to tell to prepare that my leg from up here is going to be cut.”

“Two hours before taken to the theatre a young gentleman came to exam my leg again and said he will try something for me, he came back and put some tiny, tiny things as said on the wound and covered it, few hours later, gradually l begin to feel some sensation which I lost long ago even before been admitted in the hospital.”

“I thanked God as well as the doctor who came with this technology”Alhamdulillah Alhamdulillah”, she echoed. (Sunday Independent)