By Felicia Imohimi
The International College of Surgeons (ICS) has conducted over 150 free surgeries in three hospitals in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), to enhance access to quality healthcare services at the grassroots.
Prof. Titus Ibekwe, Zonal Coordinator, Abuja branch of the organisation said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of ICS Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference, on Sunday in Abuja.
The theme of the conference is “Global COVID-19 Pandemic: Effects on Safe Surgical Services, Training and Research’’.
The Conference also has sub themes: “Creating and Sustaining equal opportunities locally in providing high end surgical services, Challenges of developing and sustenance of surgical sub specialties in Nigeria”.
Ibekwe, who is also Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the conference said the gesture was part of its cooperate social responsibilities.
He said the surgeries which included obstetrics and gynaecology, urological, endoscopic/laser, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), eye among others were carried out in Maitama, Asokoro and Nyanya Genaral Hospitals.
The Chairman who identified ICS as a humanitarian organisation whose motto is “giving back to the society,” said members donated their talents freely to help mankind, especially the less privilege in the society.
According to him, the exercise is to bring health to the doorsteps of the masses who could not afford healthcare services due to economic hardship
“We started this programme with medical outreach and we are able to successfully execute over 150 surgeries.
“We adopted a model whereby beneficiaries were drawn from hinterlands for security reasons and brought to the city centre.
“ICS was able to actualise this through the dedication of the Outreach Committee members led by Prof. Regina Morgan supported by Dr Evaristus Azodo. The overwhelming support of the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello and administration and partners served as bedrock
“The exercise is a way of supporting the government and the populace, especially the less privilege who cannot afford any of these services because a good number of this surgeries can only be accessed outside the country by the rich,’’ he said.
The Chairman pledged the commitment of the college towards uplifting the country’s health sector through reduction in the disease burden.
Ibekwe who decried high disease burden of the country as well as other developing countries, said through sustained free medical outreaches and surgeries ICS would reduce the disease burden and scale up health indices.
On the conference theme, Dr Maurice Ezeoke, President, ICS Nigerian Section described the theme as apt in view of the disruption to surgical services experienced globally in the past few years.
