In a bid to tackle unsafe and unreliable anaesthesia during surgeries in Nigeria, a United State based medical equipment firm, Gradian Health System, has introduced the Universal Anaesthesia Machine (UAM) to the country for safe surgeries and preoperative care.

 

This was disclosed by the Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Mr. Steve Rudy, during the delivery of one unit of the machine to the Nigerian Military Hospital, Lagos on Tuesday.

 

He said with over two billion people lacking safe surgeries around the world and majority of cases occurring in underdeveloped and developing countries, including Nigeria, it was necessary to provide a technology that serves the peculiar challenges been experienced in these countries.

 

The machine, according to him was designed in a way that lack of electricity supply would not affect surgeries done under anaesthesia. “We have identified the unique challenges of power shortage here in Nigeria, hence our resolve to design machines that work without depending solely on electricity. This means that even during surgeries without electricity, the batteries on the machine can stay for a very long time, while surgeries are going on,” he added.

 

He explained that in situations where the battery power becomes weak, the machine has what it takes to work manually; making it impossible for power to disrupt surgeries, adding that this was designed to save lives and reduce mortality rate.

 

 

He said one unique feature in the machine was the inbuilt system that makes it produce oxygen on its own. “If peradventure patients loose oxygen during the course of surgeries, they can use the oxygen in the machine. With this, there will not be deaths occasioned by the loss of air by patients during surgeries. We factored all these into the machine,” Rudy added.

 

He called on health institutions, well meaning Nigerians and the various levels of government in the country to take advantage of the world standard machine and get them for the advantage of the society.

 

In a speech by the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Highness, Oba Rilwan Akiolu, while unveiling the machine, he lauded the gesture and called on the firm to extend the goodwill they have shown to the Nigerian military to other health facilities in Lagos.

 

He added that public enlightenment be done for the birthing of the technology in Nigeria so that well to do Nigerians and the government can take advantage of it.

 

He also advocated for government to give priority to primary health care, which he described as the engine of health care in any society.

 

He said: “God willing, I want a situation where in the next 10 years, we will have all the needed health care centres in the country,” he added.

 

By Martins Ifijeh

This Day