Gov. Hope Uzodimma of Imo State has announced the commencement of robotic-assisted surgery in the state today, describing it as a key milestone in the state’s healthcare development.
Channels TV claims that the treatment will be done at the Imo Robotics and Oncology Center (IROC) housed within the rebuilt Imo Specialist Hospital, Umuguma in Owerri West Local Government Area.
Speaking to newsmen at the Government House, Owerri, Uzodimma said that the effort was part of his administration’s strategic investment in modern healthcare facilities, specialist services and medical technology.
He said the reconstruction and extension of the Imo specialised Hospital was designed to give the state a contemporary specialised institution capable of handling difficult medical diseases without patients travelling outside the state.
“The hospital now boasts a modern accident and emergency section, intensive care and neonatal intensive care facilities, dedicated theatres, medical oxygen infrastructure, diagnostic services, maternity and paediatric facilities, physiotherapy, mental health services and specialist wards,” he said.
The governor stated that the robotic surgical system has been installed, the theatre prepped for clinical usage and emphasised that the acquisition of the technology is being complemented with specialist experience and knowledge transfer.
The first treatment will be performed by Professor Kingsley Ekwueme, a Consultant Robotic and Laparoscopic Surgeon in the United Kingdom, and other medical specialists.
The agreement was aimed at facilitating the use of the technology and also exposing local medical workers to cutting-edge surgical techniques, he said.
He also said that robotic-assisted surgery could give doctors more accuracy and control in appropriate procedures, while also supporting minimally invasive surgery, lowering blood loss, and possibly reducing the time it takes patients to recover.
The development was particularly important for citizens who had previously been forced to travel to Lagos or across the nation for complex specialist treatment, the governor said.
He said the State government was determined to alleviate the financial, logistical and emotional burden of seeking medical care outside Imo.
Uzodimma said the robotic surgical program was being developed simultaneously with oncology services at the center with the cancer facility expected to boost the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
He said the hospital was also being outfitted with advanced diagnostic facilities such as MRI, CT scan, mammography and X-ray services with the purpose of creating an integrated specialist environment where diagnosis, treatment, surgery and follow-up care could be offered.
The governor also said that the facility would include an on-site medical oxygen generation and distribution system and a hybrid power solution to ensure continuity of operations.
Uzodimma said the government was working through the Imo State Health Insurance Scheme to guarantee that residents had access to quality healthcare without being overwhelmed by the cost of treatment.
The hospital, he said, was anticipated to serve the population from different social classes, and to give doctors, nurses, surgeons, technicians and other health workers opportunities to work with sophisticated equipment and gain advanced skills.
The governor thanked Professor Ekwueme, administration and staff of Imo Specialist Hospital, engineers, contractors and other experts participating in the project.
But he said the beginning of robotic-assisted surgery should be viewed as the beginning of a bigger healthcare reform, not as an end in itself.
According to him the ultimate test of the success of the program will be the number of patients treated, skills passed on, specialists produced and lives changed.
“My administration will continue to invest in healthcare infrastructure, medical technology and specialist manpower with the aim to restore public confidence in the capacity of healthcare institutions within the state,” Uzodimma stated.
The advent of robotic-assisted surgery was another step in ensuring that inhabitants of Imo could have access to the latest in medical treatment without leaving home, he said.
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