By Bashir Bello
The Chief Medical Director, CMD of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, Prof. Abdurrahman Sheshe on Tuesday disclosed plans to commence liver transplant for liver disease patients in the hospital.
Prof. Sheshe disclosed this during the 1st Liver Surgery Symposium on Advancing Liver Surgeries in Nigeria organized by the hospital’s Department of Surgery on Tuesday.
Also read: Tears as Central Hospital, Warri loses consultant anaesthetist to COVID-19
The Chief Medical Director, CMD said the hospital for over 20 years had continued to carry out several kidney transplants hence its resolves to step ahead to commence liver transplant.
According to him, “In Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, we have been doing kidney transplant for over 20 years. Presently, we have over 60 patients that were transplanted with kidneys.
“I think, AKTH has the highest number of patients in all the public hospitals in Nigeria. Now we want to move a step forward to develop and start liver transplant,” Prof. Sheshe stated.
He added that “Liver disease is very common and for a long time, is what the physicians are battling with. There is a need that something should be done to reduce morbidity and mortality.
“Right now, when somebody has liver cancer, the mortality is 100 per cent.
“The symposium, however, avails us the opportunity that we bring about all the specialities that are involved in Liver care in the discussion to pave a way for preventive methods to decrease the incidence of liver diseases in the communities, to develop new ideas to have such patients treated and have the diagnosis improved as well as the services rendered,” Prof. Sheshe said.
Earlier, the Organizer of the symposium, Dr Ibrahim Sulaiman, said the symposium was organized to improve the skills of the healthcare givers to meet the healthcare needs of its patients and reduce medical tourism abroad.
Dr Sulaiman, however, said the symposium brought experts from all fields such as medicine, pathology, radiology and anaesthesia to broaden the knowledge of the over 100 participants.
