Praises from Medical Doctors for Life Institute for Endoscopy, Nnewi

 Dr Olarewaju Michael
 www.odogwublog.com reports that participants at the 19th Basic Course in Minimal Access Surgery organized by Life Institute for Endoscopy, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria where Twenty-four (24) medical doctors across Nigeria participated in 5 day hands-on training session on in minimal access surgery have lauded the management of the Institute for its foresight in propagating medical education in Nigeria.

Already, Life Institute for Endoscopy has conducted training for about 200 Medical doctors from across Nigeria on basic course in minimal access surgery since its inception in 2010.

Accordingly, a participant from Tarfa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Dr Obinna Ezugwu commended the Course Director, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu for his passion toward spreading the knowledge of minimal access surgery in the country.

He said that the course Director by setting up the training institute in Nnewi has reduced the burden of looking for Dollars to travel abroad to get the same treatment noting that it costs nothing less than four thousand Dollars to get the training in India.

Dr Ezugwu however stressed the need for government at all levels to partner with Prof Ikechebelu to make his passion and dream of making the knowledge on minimal access surgery available to every surgeon in the country.

He said emphatically that the training he has gotten from Life Institute For Endoscopy was indeed a game changer for the participants.

Another participant, Dr Olarewaju Michael, President, Association of Resident Doctors, ARD, Azokoro District Hospital FCT expressed excitement that the training which would have gulped so much money if he had gone abroad was made available cheaply for him in Nnewi.

He equally thanked the course director for his passion and the opportunity to learn from him.

Dr Nnamdi Henry, a senior registrar at Federal Medical Center Owerri who also participated in the training said that medicine and surgery are undergoing a revolution that entails minimal cutting of patients.

He thanked the management of Life Institute For Endoscopy for making the empowerment training available for the participants noting that the five days he spent in Nnewi has been very educative, informative, entertaining and very worthwhile.

Dr Henry said emphatically that any practitioner who fails to get trained would be left behind.

For Dr Louis Nwajiaku of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital ,Nnewi regretted that so many medical doctors close to Nnewi never knew the value of what they have in Prof Ikechebelu and the Life Institute for Endoscopy. He said a week he had in Nnewi is better than six weeks elsewhere outside he country.
As well, Dr Gabriel Igberase, Consultant/Associate Professor at Delta State University Teaching Hospital Oghara said he taught he was too old to learn but with Nnewi experience he was encouraged adding that what he leant in Nnewi surpassed what he spent weeks and months offshore.
All the participants who spoke with The Authority said in unison that there is urgent need for the government to partner with Life Institute For Endoscopy, Nnewi, Anambra state so that the scope and the venue of the training can be expanded. They were happy they had access to life sessions.

Course Director of Life Institute for Endoscopy, Nnewi, Nigeria, Prof Joseph Ikechebelu pointed out that the institute has a vision of providing quality training, excellent treatment and development of minimal access surgery in Nigeria and indeed the entire African continent.
He said the Institute has the mission of spreading the awareness and practice of minimal access surgery(MAS) all over the country through training, treatment, support and equipment supplies.

 Dr Uwandu Henry

Dr Obinna Ezugwu
 


Prof Ikechebelu noted that the institute started training in September 2010 with five participants and that the institute has so far trained one hundred and fifty eight doctors, thirty seven nurses, one anesthetist, two technicians and one engineer before the last training which has all twenty-four medical doctors.

"Our training is currently approved by World Association of Laparoscopic Surgeons, and among our laudable achievements is the carrying out of the first Laparoscopic Myomectomy in South-East of Nigeria.

In his own comment, the chairman of the closing ceremony, former President, West African Collage of Surgeons,Prof Okechukwu .O Mbonu while congratulating the participants for being part of the training on minimal access at Life Institute For Endoscopy urged them to put what they learnt into practice when they get back to their base.

Prof Mbonu encouraged the participants to endeavor to get the advanced training on minimal access surgery which according to him is the in-thing now in surgery and that any doctor that fails to get the training would be left behind.

The Anambra state Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Akabuike said the unique elementary nature of the training makes it a prerequisite for any other training even as he passionately urged the participants to tell others about the program.

Dr Akabuike pledged the support of the administration of Chief Willie Obiano to Life Institute by offering subsidies for patients who may want to be part of the next training.

He however urged medical doctors to shun the temptation to embark on strike at the slightest opportunity which according to him has started giving doctors bad name in the society.

Dr Bernard Udoji, Dr Uche Augustine and Dr Charles Nzurumike got different awards for distinguishing themselves during the five day training. They commended the initiator Prof Ikechebelu for his passion toward spreading the knowledge of minimal access surgery in the country.


Pix 1: Dr Obinna Ezugwu


Pix 2: Dr Olarewaju Michael



Pix 3: Dr Uwandu Henry




Part 2

Pix 1: A cross section of participants




Pix 2: Another cross section




Pix 3: (L-r) Prof Udigwe, Dr Akabuike, Prof Mbonu, Prof Ikechebelu



Pix 4: A participant receiving his certificate of participation for Dr Akabuike



Pix 5: A female participant trying her hand on a training equipment

written by ODOGWU EMEKA ODOGWU and OJO ISAAC