Abia Specialist Centre Records Successful Brain Surgery

UMUAHIA — Abia State Government has announced a landmark medical feat at Abia Specialist and Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia, where a 19-year-old patient with life-threatening brain bleeding was saved through emergency neurosurgery.

Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this during Exco briefing, said evaluation revealed massive collection of blood within skull requiring immediate intervention.

He said after four-hour surgery, blood was evacuated and bleeding controlled, and patient was transferred to Intensive Care Unit where he is making satisfactory recovery.

Commissioner for Health, Prof. Enoch Ogbonnaya Uche, explained that patient came in deep coma with Glasgow Coma Scale of 6 out of 15, which dropped to 5 at time of surgery.

He said a conscious person has a GCS of 15 and a dead person has 3, noting that over 100mls of blood was evacuated from the brain.

He said the feat was possible because of state government’s investment in health facilities and recruitment of brain surgeons.

He added that the milestone follows sustained efforts by Governor Alex Otti administration to retrofit and equip public health institutions, leading to accreditation of all four campuses of Abia State College of Nursing Sciences by Nursing and Midwifery Council, and accreditation by Medical Laboratory and Optometry boards for three hospitals — Abam, Arochukwu and Abia Specialist Hospital — covering three senatorial zones.

He disclosed that Governor Otti has approved payment of N502.1 million counterpart funding for Basic Health Care Provision Fund, BHCPF, to enable vulnerable groups including pregnant women, under-5 children and elderly to benefit from health insurance.

On other developments, Kanu said a Swedish organization has awarded state surgical equipment including ultramodern stroke, brain and spine surgery equipment, while Stanbic IBTC is collaborating with Ministry of Health to donate equipment to emergency unit of Abia Specialist Hospital.

He said the 2026 World Sight Day activities with the theme “Safe Eyes, Safe Roads, Safe Lives” commenced October 13 and will end October 15, featuring free eye screening for commercial drivers and unveiling of Vision Corridor.

The Administrator of Abia State Eye Health Management Bearua, Dr Betty Emeka-Obasi, said the programme targets all drivers to link clear vision to road safety.