About 400 people will benefit from the latest phase of the Lagos State Government sponsored Free Limb Deformity Corrective Surgery and Rehabilitative Programme.

This is an intervention programme targeted at rehabilitating people especially children with lower limb deformities such as rickets or blount diseases, and other lower limb deformities that affect their normal growth and function.

This was disclosed by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye during his visit to the screening site for the latest batch of beneficiaries at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital on Tuesday.

According to him, the current phase of the exercise has recorded over 400 potential beneficiaries who will be screened over a period of two days when appropriate medical examinations will be conducted.

He said during this current phase, 80 children will undergo corrective surgical intervention while others will be offered physiotherapy, nutrition and health education as well as assistive mobility devices that will improve their health outcome.

Ogboye noted that the results of their examination will be reviewed by a team of specialists and then those that qualify for surgery will be booked for surgical intervention within the next 10 days adding that the process will be at no cost to the patients.

“The process involves a screening where surgeons examine patients and select those eligible to benefit from surgery, and others that may benefit from assistive devices and other forms of physical rehabilitation”

“Those who pre-qualify for surgery then go through a series of diagnostic investigations including x-rays, and blood tests to check for the form of the bone malformation, calcium levels and other basic parameters. Patients are then offered surgery and kept overnight for observation”.

“This is supervised by our team of orthopedic surgeons, anesthetists, nurses, and other health professionals. After discharge, patients will come for follow-up visits at the clinic, and then also go through physiotherapy to ensure we get the best outcomes”, the Permanent Secretary added.

He noted that many of the limb deformities which can be corrected by surgery and rehabilitation, will improve the health status of the beneficiaries, as well as foster a sense of self-worth that would consequently increase their opportunity and capacity to be economically empowered to care for themselves, their families and contribute positively to the society at large.

“Through this program, beneficiaries can receive corrective surgery and rehabilitation that includes physiotherapy, assistive mobility devices that will improve their health outcome. This program often leads to improved mobility and health outcomes for the beneficiaries, and allows us to demonstrate our commitment as a State to develop our human capital and give our children a good platform to achieve their dreams and aspirations.

“The program also allows us to generate data to create other targeted disability intervention strategies to help more people that may have been disadvantaged health wise in one way or another”, Ogboye said.

The Coordinator of the Programme, Dr. Tolulope Ajomale noted that over 6,000 patients have benefitted from the programme since inception adding that the programme has evolved into a multidisciplinary surgical outreach program that explores surgical intervention, physiotherapy and assistive mobility devices that improve their health outcome.

He noted that the programme which usually holds biannually was interrupted by the COVID19 pandemic stressing that the surgical and rehabilitative intervention programme has been rejigged to ameliorate the suffering of patients and their families.

Ajomale added that the massive turnout of potential beneficiaries at the screening exercise is an affirmation of the impact the programme has had on citizens who have benefitted from the programme. He disclosed that another screening exercise will be organised before the end of the year to expand the window for more potential beneficiaries.

VON