Dr. Biodun Ogungbo
There have been times when I have embellished my articles with stories. Some true and some totally made up to titillate your senses. However, this one is true and absolutely incredible.
Neurosurgery
Now, as you may know, I am a brain and spine surgeon. One of the few in Nigeria and you probably can count us all 6 times on the fingers of your hands. Since I discovered neurosurgery, it has become my life and my passion. Something I look forward to each day and enjoy to the maximum. Neurosurgery can be challenging but ultimately great fun in its variety, as no two days are ever the same. I actually cannot wait for daybreak so I can get back to work: fun and learning experienced each day.
One day
One fateful day, we woke up to find a new patient siting in the car park. The patient accompanied by family had travelled down from Gombe in a small Volkswagen beetle with a spinal injury. Accompanied by the mother and sister, he came with severe spinal cord injury and paralysis of a week’s duration. He had been unable to move his legs following a road traffic accident.
Now, we run a private clinic called Spine Fixed in Abuja. Altogether, this is small attempt to reverse medical tourism and stop some people from travelling abroad: ostensibly a vehicle to promote spine surgery in Nigeria. However, it is a private facility and perhaps a tad more expensive that the public hospital.
It turns out that the patient had been referred to another hospital in Kano but chose to come over to our clinic in Abuja. Someone told them the spine injury can be fixed in Abuja. They therefore spent all their hard earned cash travelling many hours overnight to get to Abuja by the morning. They came with a lot of prayers but without a single penny. Alas, what are we to do? We certainly cannot turn him away and back to Gombe with his injury for sure as day break, he may not survive further insults to his spinal cord.
So, we had him admitted, cleaned and fed.
Another day
His injuries were evaluated, investigated and a plan of management initiated. We had to operate to fix his spine and try as much as we could to get him into a wheel chair for rehabilitation. For, though I was sure the injuries were not immediately life threatening it definitely had damaged his spinal cord permanently with little chance of ever walking again.
The operation and care would cost in material terms about two million Naira (N2, 000, 000). Luckily, a family member was living in Abuja and he brought one hundred thousand Naira (N100, 000), as deposit for his care. Now, you and I know that would not cover even the cost of breakfast for two at the Hilton, let alone spine surgery. But, needs must be met!
The silent Philanthropists
I called Dr Chris Otabor of Alliance Hospital and intimated him of the plight of my patient. I asked for his help in providing free theatre space, drugs and equipment for my patient. He agreed to help and have the operation performed at his hospital free of charge. He even threw in the cost of an MRI scan to reassess the area of injury.
Dr Olatunde Olawoye, consultant anaesthetist and my trusted one man band also agreed to a pro bono case to carry out free anaesthetic support on the patient. Along with an anaesthetist support staff, he came over and carried out the operation.
The special one
One of my patients heard the story and was moved to act. He immediately donated N500, 000, to the cause but with a caveat. The patient must not be told about the donation or given any clue about the identity of the donor. He also did not want to see the patient nor know his details in what was for me a totally new experience.
Effectively, we had saved over one million Naira, by calling on the largesse of friends and colleagues locally. To trust us so completely, and rely on us to do the right thing by another Nigerian, a brother from another mother, was alien to me since I started practising in Nigeria. A pleasant departure from my experiences: in which many people do not lift a finger to help. If they did, they would want recognition and political mileage for helping another human being.
Spine Fixed in Abuja
So, we proceeded with the operation and fixed his spine successfully. However, there was one more obstacle to cross after the operation. As you know, he could not stay in hospital for ever and so once his wound was healed, he was ready for discharge. Consequently, he was ambulated into a wheel chair and discharged home to Gombe for further care.
Unbelievably, the staff at the Federal Medical Centre in Gombe refused to admit him for even Paracetamol: because he went to Abuja instead of the hospital they had referred him to! However, that is a story for another day.
