Why not Alex?

By Okwodu Egworonu M. Obasi

Today is a happy day for me. Not just because it’s my birthday but because it’s another step of God’s goodness and preservation in our lives.

The almighty has used the instrumentality of the revolutionary Alex Chioma Otti government to not only ease but studiously improve the living standards of Abians in particular and Nigerians in general.

It is all this realization that has lifted my spirits and inspired me to do this piece.

For those who follow my writings, sometime in early 2019 (prior to the then elections) I did a piece “Why Alex?” This treatise then, essentially dwelt on the recklessness with which politicians abandoned their electoral promises after “winning” elections only to pursue their personal agenda and that of their selected cronies.

I went ahead to make an informed case for Alex Otti asking the electorate to employ him since he was (and still is) in the same mould as the Gani Fawehinmis, the Ikenna Nzimiros, the Tai Solarins and indeed the Chinua Achebes.

Unfortunately the brigands who held our dear Abia by the jugular instead of releasing her, tightened their rapacious grip.

Now, fast forward to February 2023. Our knight in shining amour though head bloodied but not bowed, soldiered on and came out tops at last! Today I (and indeed many other disciples of this comet that came our way) have been truly and thoroughly vindicated.

This warrior hit the ground running, tackling the myriad of problems in the state in earnest. As an astute banker and boardroom jostler, his great skills at multitasking easily came to bear. It is his resounding success in not just stemming the tide, but turning things around in just under sixteen months that have informed my decision to title this piece “Why not Alex?”

Really, why not? Now, no aspect of the Abia economy was anything to write home about. Agriculture, Education, Healthcare, Transportation, communication, Electricity/Power, Environment and Social Welfare, the list is endless! For purposes of clarity coupled with the fact that this is my area of specialty, let me use the healthcare segment to illustrate Alex Otti’s vision and commitment to first class delivery of the dividends of democracy to the long suffering people of Abia. I will try to keep the terminologies and jargon as simple as possible so that the reading public can stay with me.

In no time, he revamped the Abia State Teaching Hospital and got her reaccredited. Like any right thinking technocrat, he commissioned a comprehensive and exhaustive audit of existing health facilities (needs assessment) across the seventeen local government areas and proceeded to act meticulously on the reports and recommendations.

Today, we have amongst others a State-of-the-Art Multipurpose Hospital at Ugwunagbo, a Functional Amachara Specialist Hospital with a State of the Arts Eye Care Centre, several General Hospitals and clinics in various stages of restoration and a hands on CE of the Hospital Management Board, a highly celebrated and Renowned Neurologist as Commissioner for Health and an Experienced Health Professional with background in global health institutions as Special Adviser on Health who are doing effective justice to the tasks and targets of the healthcare industry in the State.

It is certainly not “Uhuru” but you can be sure they are on the right track. I have always said that eight years is far too small for even an Alex Otti to take Abia to the promised land. But, out of Egypt he will certainly take us and set us on an ‘Irreversible  path’ to Canaan!

Now to the part that excites me the most! The annual expenditure of Nigerians on medical tourism abroad is in the region of over $2billion.

$2 billion! (Don’t bother to convert to our Naira of today – your calculator will have error messages!) A modest and mere 10% of this comes to about $200 Million which surpasses the State annual budget without deficiting financing as we speak.

The Alex Otti administration aims in no distant time to establish an all encompassing World Class Medical Village cum Research Centre complete with all arms of Medical endeavors – from good old gynecology, through nephrology, urology, pediatrics all through the gamut to neurology, oncology etc.

Now, let’s rewind a little.
To be sure, Nigeria  is blessed with good – nay excellent Doctors and Medical personnel who have always held their own and even blazed the trail not just in Nigeria but also countries of their sojourn.

In fairness to them, they have raised the Medical and health standards of our dear country far higher than expected in spite of the frustration and irresponsibility shown by successive governments – whether state or Federal.

They have weathered the inclement storms and produced life saving medical feats with virtually their bare hands!

Once again, Alex Otti wants to change the narrative and take advantage of this scandalous lacuna to first, bring succor to the teeming populace, greatly reduce the cost of healthcare delivery and at the same time earn valuable inflow that will be priceless not just to the health sector but other aspects as the case may be.

Now, to be able to appreciate the import and impact of our dear Governor’s foresight, we must bring into perspective the following:
1. The most common ailments and diseases that cause Nigerians to travel abroad for treatment.
2. ⁠The choice world wide destinations Nigerians spend our scarce forex for medical tourism.

This will help to understand the importance and intricacy of this ambitious but doable venture. Such typical diseases include (but are not limited to):
1. Breast, cervical, prostrate, colorectal and other such cancers (esp in their advanced stages) requiring specialized treatment such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, surgery etc.
2. Cardiovascular ailments like coronary artery diseases, heart failure, valve disorders etc requiring complex surgeries such as heart bypass, valve replacement etc.
3. Kidney conditions ranging from malfunction to downright failure requiring either dialysis or outright transplant procedures.
4. Neurological disorders like stroke, brain tumors, spinal injuries, multiple sclerosis and degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s all requiring specialized care.
5. Orthopaedic issues like joint (hip and knee) replacement, spine surgeries, fracture repair and other complex spine surgeries that often require advanced surgical techniques and rehabilitation.
6. Hepatitis and liver diseases (cirrhosis) especially those needing liver transplant
7. Infertility treatment requiring advanced reproductive techniques such as Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) and treatments like In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF).
8. Autoimmune diseases and conditions including hematological disorders (like sickle cell diseases), bone marrow disorders and the likes needing specialized treatment, care and management.
9. Serious near fatal accidents that may result to some of the conditions enunciated above.

Now, the typical medical destinations of choice by Nigerians include but not restricted to:
1. The United States (USA).
2. Great Britain (UK)
3. Canada
4. Germany
5. India
6. South Africa
7. France
8. Turkey
9. United Arab Emirates (UAE)

Dr. Alex C. Otti’s government is poised to take this raging bull by the horn and create a win win situation for all. We are not just talking about a hospital but the first world class medical complex and community with the full works:

1. State of the art equipment and facilities
2. Appropriate buildings to house equipment, patients and indeed the work staff.
3. A most conducive work environment to attract the best hands in the medical/health industry not just in Nigeria but from all over the world. This alone will bring back most Nigerians in the diaspora, anxious to return home and serve well to reverse the severe brain drain currently the norm today.
4. Total and comprehensive medical/laboratory equipment, maintenance and upgrade culture by qualified technicians and technologists who must be available for refresher and upgrade certification from time to time.

Some of the high end equipment and manpower needed in this enterprise include but are not limited to the following:

A. Cancer Equipment:
1. Radiation therapy machines (linear accelerators)
2. Chemotherapy infusion pumps
3. Advanced Imaging (MRI, CT) devices
4. PET/CT Scanners
6. Robotic surgery equipment
Manpower:
1. Surgical Oncologists
2. Radiologists
3. Oncology nurses
4. Pathologists
5. Medical Physicists

B. Kidney related diseases
Equipment:
1. Dialysis machines
(Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis units)
2. Kidney transplant surgical tools
3. High resolution Ultrasound, MRI and CT scanners.
4. Nephrology Ultrasound machines
Manpower:
1. Nephrologists
2. Urologists
3. Transplant Surgeons
4. Dialysis technicians
5. Dialysis nurses.

C. Neurological disorders
Equipment:
1. MRI & CT Scanners (for brain and spine imaging)
2. EEG Machines (For epilepsy diagnosis).
3. Neurological tools (including minimally invasive surgery equipment)
Manpower:
1. Neurologists
2. Neurosurgeons
3. Neuroradiologosts
4. Neurophysiologists
5. Specialized nurses

D. Orthopedic conditions
Equipment:
1. Imaging equipment (MRI, CT, Digital X-Ray)
2. Arthroscopy equipment (for joint surgeries)
3. Joint Replacement implants and surgical tools
Manpower:
1. Orthopedic surgeons
2. Physiotherapists
3. Occupational therapists
4. Orthopedic technicians

E. Hematological disorders
Equipment:
1. Blood transfusion equipment
2. Bone marrow transplant tools
3. MRI and CT Scanners
Manpower:
1. Hematologists
2. Transplant Surgeons
3. Specialized Nurses

F. Cardiovascular diseases
Equipment:
1. Cardiac Catherisation Labs
2. MRI/CT Scanners with cardiovascular imaging capabilities
3. Angiography machines
4. Angioplasty equipment
5. Pacemakers and defibrillators
6. Cardiac surgery equipment (esp for bypass surgeries etc)
7. Echocardiography machines
Manpower:
1. Interventional cardiologists
2. Cardio thoracic surgeons
3. Cardiac anesthesiologists
4. Specialized cardiac nurses

G. Liver diseases
Equipment:
1. Liver transplant surgical tools
2. High end Ultrasound, CT & MRI equipment for liver imaging
3. Advanced Laparoscopy equipment
4. Liver biopsy equipment
Manpower:
1. Hematologists
2. Transplant Surgeons
3. Gastroenterologists
4. Surgical nurses

H. Infertility related cases
Equipment:
1. IVF Lab equipment (incubators, ICSI machines, sperm analysers)
2. Cryopreservation Units
3. Ultrasound machines (for reproductive organ imaging)
Manpower:
1. Fertility specialists and nurses
2. Reproductive Endocrinologists
3. Embryologists
4. Gynecologists
5. Andrologists

Now, this is neither exhaustive nor conclusive.
Like I said earlier, I have no wish to bore or confuse the casual reader but draw adequate attention to the intricacies and complexities of this ambitious and all encompassing one stop medical village being proposed by his excellency Dr. A. C. Otti.

It is doable and will make Abia state the medical destination of choice not just here in Nigeria  but across the length and breadth of Africa.

This venture alone can only bolster the local Abia economy in ways that can only be imagined. In addition to the planning, funding and execution, the government needs our prayers, unalloyed support and patience.

It’s a rarity to find visionary leaders focused and courageous enough to grapple with such futuristic and iconic projects. In Abia State, Alex Otti is ensuring that I don’t only celebrate on my birthdays. Everyday should be celebration!

By Obasi, Okwodu Ebiriba