A 19‑year‑old motorcycle accident victim was saved after emergency brain surgery at the Abia State Specialist Hospital and Diagnostic Centre in Umuahia on Sunday, October 4. Doctors evacuated more than 100 millilitres of blood clot that was compressing his brainstem, allowing the young man to regain movement in his limbs while recovering in intensive care.
The patient arrived at the hospital in a deep coma with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of six, which later fell to five. Investigations revealed massive intracranial bleeding, prompting a four‑hour operation to stop the life‑threatening bleed.
Commissioner for Health and neurosurgeon Prof. Enoch Uche explained that the bleeding’s pressure on the brainstem made immediate surgery essential and that transferring the patient elsewhere could have been fatal. “Because we now have facilities to undertake brain surgery, and then we have brain surgeons in the state employed by His Excellency, that surgery was done,” he said.
Chief Medical Director Dr Chimezie Okwuonu described the procedure as the hospital’s first brain surgery, highlighting the growing capacity to manage complex cases locally. The operation was carried out by a multidisciplinary team led by Prof. Uche, Dr Kalu and other specialists, and the hospital now employs 28 consultants compared with just one when the current management took office.
Okwuonu said the success will encourage the hospital to expand its capabilities for brain and spine surgeries and to provide specialised neurological care within Abia, reducing the need for residents to seek treatment elsewhere. He noted that similar efforts are under way for kidney transplant services.
Commissioner for Information Prince Okey Kanu added that the state has contributed N502.1 million as counterpart funding under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, a prerequisite for federal assistance to vulnerable residents. The state is also attracting specialised trauma equipment for orthopaedic, brain and spine surgeries through a partnership with a Swedish organisation, and has launched health interventions in flood‑affected communities to prevent disease outbreaks, reporting no cases of Lassa fever, Ebola, diphtheria or COVID‑19 during the review period.
Meanwhile, Dr Betty Emeka‑Obasi, Administrator of the Abia State Eye Health Management Bureau, announced activities for the 2026 World Sight Day, including free eye screenings for commercial drivers under the “Safe Eyes, Safe Roads and Safe Lives” campaign, which runs until October 15. The bureau is collaborating with the Ministry of Transport, the Federal Road Safety Corps and transport unions, and plans to establish a vision corridor at the Nnenna Otti Bus Terminal to help drivers assess their eyesight conveniently.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
