Paediatricians Begin Week-long Free Surgeries for 150 Children in Kwara

By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal

The Association of Paediatric Surgeons of Nigeria (APSON) has begun a week-long free surgeries for 150 children in Kwara.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the surgical intervention took place at Aisha Buhari Mother and Child Hospital, Eiyenkonrin, Ilorin for children below the ages of 15 years with Inguinoscrotal swelling (hernia and hydrocele).

Other conditions includes Lipoma, Cleft lips, Lump and Bumps, Undescended Testis, Cyst and Umbilical Hernia among others.

Speaking with newsmen on the sidelines of the programme, Prof Lukman AbdulRaheem, the National Vice Chairman of APSON explained that the free surgeries are part of the activities earmarked for the 23rd Annual Conference of the Association.

He explained that Kwara would be hosting the conference for the second time, adding that this year’s event is an addition to the one organized previously.

“We are including free surgical outreach to give back to the communities by providing free surgeries and our target is 150 children,” he said.

AbdulRaheem, who is a Consultant Paediatrician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), said activities of the surgery will last for a week, while the state will be hosting an International training facilitated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.

He added that they will train members and colleagues on how to take care of children that suffer injuries of various types.

He explained further that the course is titled: “Trauma Resuscitation in Kids”, which will take place at UITH for two days.

Similarly, the vice president of APSON explained that the state will host both local and international participants who will be delivering discussions and talks on current matters.

“The theme of the conference is entitled:’ Quality Improvement in Surgical Care of Children’, and the sub theme is ‘Transitional Care in Paediatrics Surgery’.

AabdulRaheem pointed out that the choice of theme is the belief that the association “had done so much in the expansion of what we are able to offer in children surgical services.

“We want to look at ways to improve on quality of services we are rendering to children, so that everybody will exchange ideas and how to make things better”.

According to him, in caring for the children, the association will also deliberate on how to help them after they have attained adulthood on managing emerging diseases and conditions.

“That’s why we brought transitional care in paediatrics surgery. Some of these children may have ailments that require surgical care that are not discovered early enough.

“We want to have a discussion with other surgery providers on how to see these children we have cared for during their childhood and how they can have continuity of care as adult,” he said.

Also speaking, Prof Nasir AbdulRasheed, a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at UITH, added that the free surgical outreach is for children who have unmet surgical needs.

He stated that some children who have special conditions which required surgery, however, cannot afford surgery.

He noted that these children are kept with their parents without surgical intervention because they dont have the means or they dont have access.

AbdulRasheed explained that most of the common surgical conditions in children that are presented are hernia.

“They are usually presented as swelling in the scrotum and hydrocele, which has attended complications. We are also attending to children with cleft lips and lumps,” he said.

In thier appreciative remarks, Mr Abdullahi Abubakar and Nafisat Baqi, parents to children who benefited from the free surgeries, commended the Association for the life saving intervention.

They explained that they could not access health intervention previously because the surgery was expensive and cost up to N200,000 and above. (NAN)

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