FCTA TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF NEUROSURGERY PRACTICE IN ABUJA

                                  

FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Musa Bello, has pledged the support of the FCT Administration towards the development of neurosurgery practice in Abuja.

 

The Minister made this declaration when he received members of Neurosurgery Society of Nigeria when they paid him a courtesy call to intimate him on a planned conference by ContinentalAssociation of African Neurosurgical Societies (CAANS) scheduled for Abuja in July, 2018.

 

The Minister, who was represented in the occasion by the Director of Human Resources, Hajia Amina Abubakar, described Neurosurgery as a critical component of the FCT Administration’s programme of the delivery of effective health services in the Territory.

 

He lamented the personnel gap being experienced in the field of Neurosurgery in the country and its negative impact on the health sector while expressing his readiness to partner with the Nigerian Neurosurgery Society towards bridging the human resource gap in the field.

 

Bello declared, “I know it is an essential field that we need to encourage and I am happy that you are bringing this Conference to Nigeria because we need a lot of support in all aspects of medicine. Abuja as a growing city needs all the backing it can muster to attain a great city status, medically and otherwise. Your choice of Abuja is therefore very timely and welcome.”

 

The Minister noted that FCT hopes to benefit immensely from the conference as it would catalyse the development of neurosurgical practice and studies in Nigeria as well as attract foreign direct investment in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.    

 

Earlier in his remarks, the President of the Neurosurgical Society of Nigeria, Professor Sam Ohaegbulam, disclosed the Nigeria has less than 60 Neurosurgeons and indeed that the entire West Africa has less than 200.

 

The immediate consequence, he stressed, is high incidence of avoidable deaths from accidents resulting from lack of adequate number of Neurosurgeons.  Professor Ohaegbulam revealed that over 350 delegates and experts would be gracing the event from across the world and would be talking about different topics which are crucial in the world of neurosurgery.

 

In his words, “it is an honour to follow the lead of the South Africa that hosted the conference last year, to host this congress next year 2018 July because it is a big occasion, and would facilitate partnership with World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies and different continental neurosurgical bodies. It is so intimidating that we thought we don’t have the ability to manage it without help from those who are very experienced in hosting this type of thing and that is why we got Europa to assist us.

 

“We need help and we need support from the Federal Capital Territory and that is why we have approached your Administration to tell you about what is coming to your doorsteps and see how you can assist us and key in into this major event.”

 

It could be noted that Europa Organization Africa started in 2013 in South Africa, which was a subsidiary of the Europa organization global group. It has representation in Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, but working closely together with the American and Latin American part and regions of the world. It has experience in the organizations of medical conferences, expos and study tours.

 

Cosmas Uzodinma
Chief Press Secretary

To the FCT Minister