Open heart surgery in Nigeria to cost N500,000- Maku

The open heart surgery facility might not be able to cater to the
number of Nigerians needing the surgery.
The Minister of Information, Labaran Maku , on Wednesday announced
that open heart surgery can now be performed in Nigeria foran average
of N500, 000 at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital , UNTH, in
Enugu.
The last time an open heart surgery was performed in Nigeria was 10
years ago when the hospital had to move from its old site in Enugu
metropolis to its permanent site at Ituku-Ozala Since then, any
Nigerian needing to undergo the surgery had to go abroad to get the
surgery done.
The resumption of the surgery in Nigeria was facilitated by the
management of the hospital in collaboration with a United States-based
Non-Governmental Organisation, VOOM Foundation.
Mr. Maku said Nigerians can immediately begin to access the facility
of the UNTH in Enugu .
In March, Nigeria's Health Minister, OnyebuchiChukwu commissioned the
heart surgery unit. Mr. Chukwu said the resuscitation became necessary
in order to stop the current trend whereby "Nigerians are flown abroad
for medical missions".
But with over 160million citizens, it might be too much to expect that
the hospital will cater to all patients needing heart surgery.
Surgeries are even scheduled to occur only about four times a year
with medical missions handling the cases.
In India, there are over 500 hospital catering to open heart surgeries
with over 100, 000 surgeries being performed yearly, heart surgery in
India, a resource guide informs.
This makes the country a hot spot for open heart surgery patients from Nigeria.