Airway Development Incorporated, has donated medical equipment to 30 hospitals in Nigeria to help in the management of airway simulation.
The President of the organisation, Dr Daniel Tapia, presented the equipment to the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of National Hospital Abuja (NHA), Prof. Mahmud Raji, in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the 30 hospitals to serve as Airway Management Simulation centres are government-owned hospitals drawn from each geo-political zone of the country.
Tapia also demonstrated in a workshop on how the equipment would be used to assist patients who develop hindrance in their airway passage.
According to Tapia, one of the key components is not just handing over equipment to the hospitals, but providing the guidance, education and the foundations that are necessary to use them appropriately.
“So not only do we seek the best and the most important airway of witness about available to take care of the patient, but it’s accompanied with education, guidance and teaching so that it’s used appropriately when the time comes.
“I am convinced that a simulation center is not only helpful, but an essential component of making that dream come true.
“With the simulation center, it is not just for medical students or resident doctors or people learning the basic techniques of intubation, but it is for every single person managing the airway,” he said.
Dr Mohammed Rabiu, the Lead Volunteer, African Component of the organisation, said that data from a Lancet study states that the number of people dying from surgical related conditions is higher than cancer, malaria and HIV.
Rabiu, a Consultant Anesthesiologist at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, added that the safest way to get surgery is to have a safe airway management.
This, he said is the first step in most of the general anesthesia where most of the complications are.
He also said that in the past five years, the organisation had donated medical equipment worth over 400,000 U.S. dollars to Nigeria.
“We had a training in December 2022 where we trained over 500 doctors and nurses and we distributed equipment worth over 100,000 dollars free to all the public hospital.
”This is because our emphasis is on public hospitals that take care of the vulnerable and impoverished people.
“We started training medical personnel on how to use the equipment when we found out that medical practitioners do not know how to use some of them.
“So we now came up with our framework to train the doctors, nurses, and all concerned,” he said
In an address by the President, Society of Specialists in Airway Management (SSAM), Dr Aderonke Adesiyan, he said that knowledge and skills in airway management are essential for all healthcare professionals.
She added that the simulation centres were made possible by the generous donations of over 400 airway manikins, 200 video laryngoscopes and numerous other airway equipment from Airway Development Incorporated.
“We appreciate Dr Tapia’s unwavering passion, sacrifice and committement to the improvement of the practice of airway management in Nigeria and Africa.
“It is our hope that these centers will be used to enhance the training and retraining of medical students, nurses, medical officers, residents and consultants in all specialties where airway management may be required.
“Airway management training is now available at the doorsteps of all practitioners in Nigeria. We look forward excitedly to the success of this collaboration to improve healthcare delivery to all patients in Nigeria,” she said.
Raji, the CMD of the hospital, commended the organisation for the donation, assuring that the equipment would be used to boost healthcare delivery in the hospital.
He said the programme would complement what the hospital is doing to ensure that all its staff members have the basic knowledge about how to save a life in the event of an emergency.
“We want to ensure that they all know how to handle airway management in emergency situations, including those who are in administration, accounts and even security, everybody should know how to manage the airway.
“This is because this can happen anywhere so it will definitely add value to what we are doing here and it is going to really impact positively on our patients,” he said.
NAN reports that manikins, video laryngoscopes and airway ducts are among the equipment donated.
