Flood: Cancer centres equipment worth N8B, other high-tech affected—UMTH CMAC

From Olatunji Omirin, Maiduguri 

The management of the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital has decried that most of its high-tech machines, including cancer machines, modular laboratories, and others, have been destroyed by the flood.
 
The Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee of the UMTH, Prof. Sanusi Ibahim, disclosed this in an event organised by Save the Children International, marking this year’s International World Prematurity Day in Maiduguri at the weekend.
 
According to him, he urged the staff to bear with the management, noting that as a result of recent floods, most of the high-tech machines were destroyed, which made it impossible for patients seeking such services in the hospital.
 
He said, “For us to reactivate the cancer centre alone, if you convert the money now, we are talking of like in the range of #7 to 8 billion.” So it’s actually a difficult thing to say. But beyond the cancer centre, the molecular lab, CT scanner machines, and high-tech machines are severely beyond repairs.
 
 “So the cancer centre, the molecular laboratory, the polio laboratory, in all these areas, they have high-tech equipment for gene sequencing and some other microscopic testing that you can hardly get in other places. So all these machines have been damaged, and they are yet to be replaced.
 
 “Many of our cancer patients, some of them were actually referred; they needed to go to other places where the services are available. And you know, one thing that we have is that we still have unmet needs for cancer care in Nigeria; even as expensive as the services are, more and more patients that even have the money cannot even afford the care.
 
He added, “Access to care is still a problem; even when you have the money, you know either the machines are broken down or you don’t have the full complement of the services. You have to do one; you have to book back therapy somewhere, and you, from back therapy, you have to be referred to another place where they have an external beam radiation therapy for you to go and do it. 
 
“So this has been the bane of cancer care in Nigeria, but in our centre, we had everything, actually. Some have gone to Sokoto. Some have gone to Lagos. And, you know, don’t forget that a good number of the patients that are from here, so it is a pity now that they have been left with their fate because to access the services is too expensive,” he lamented.
 
He noted that three oxygen plants were completely affected by the flood; he underscored the importance of vital oxygen to clinical services and entire hospital services.
 
 “You know, this hospital is one of the few centres with a very big oxygen plant in numbers, about three oxygen plants in the hospital. So all these plants were affected during the flood. So we had to work around the clock and were able to get one of the plants reactivated.” He said.
 
Prof. Sanusi expressed gratitude to Save the Children for their continuous support of the child care units, where more than #30 million worth of equipment and medical supplies have been donated to the hospital to enhance its performance in the areas of the child institute.