Medical and Surgical Center (Under Construction)
The dire needs from all aspects of life that Dr. Mrs. Cordelia Uddoh experienced when she visited Nigeria in 2016 to bury her father, challenged her to do more to alleviate the sufferings of the people. The inadequate surgical facilities and equipment she observed during her surgical missions in Nigeria, and the heart-breaking social media accounts of thousands of young educated Nigerians fleeing their country to end up dead in the ocean or desert, became the catalyst that led to the vision and mission for this center. She hopes to create employment opportunities that will keep these young graduates at home.
NKO Foundation USA solicited for funds and transferred donated money to Nko Dynamic Foundation in Nigeria for the purchase and fencing of 5 acres of land in 2018. The land is for the construction of a medical/surgical center and vocational/blind school. The medical/surgical center is currently under construction: a three-story big complex that will house all the surgical specialties and primary care clinic at Ogidi, Anambra State, Nigeria. As of June 2020, we are finishing the high foundation designed not only to level the topography of the land, but to control future erosion or flooding.
An estimated cost for this project is a minimum of two million U.S dollars. Thus far, we have raised only 2.5% of the estimated cost. This amount was raised during the fundraising event held on December 1st, 2018.
Utilization of the Medical and Surgical Center
Upon completion, the three-story center will have four levels. The first level will have all the diagnostic equipment, radiological equipment, pharmacy, and offices. The second level will have 10 large modern operating suites and two levels of overnight stay for post-op patients. Level three will be the mid-level staff’s temporary stay that could accommodate at least 100 workers/or patients. Level four will be residential suites that could accommodate about 100 physicians and administrators.
The vision for the center is to enlist the expertise of doctors and other U.S. health practitioners to use this center to train the local physicians and offer great surgical services to the indigents for free or at a very low price. We welcome ideas on how to make this center serve the population in Nigeria better. The center will attract all the subspecialties that are desperately needed in that part of the world, such as:
Ophthalmology: This specialty will help with preventable eye diseases that give rise to all forms of vision impairment and blindness. With qualified, trained personnel together with the start of the art surgical and diagnostic amenities, the population will be well served.
Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT): There are certain deformities such as cleft palates that when corrected early in life can give children self-confidence as they grow up and shield them from all forms of bullying.
Kidney Transplants and Dialysis Center: There is a high prevalence of kidney failure in the area. People die due to the lack of transplant facilities. And for those who can afford to travel abroad, many horror stories abound of malpractice and inappropriate treatment. With this center, people suffering from kidney diseases or renal failure will be given a new lease of life in an efficient and well-equipment facility without risking traveling overseas.
Orthopedics: Motor vehicle accidents and other bone-related injuries immobilize both young and elderly patients and impact their productivity and quality of life. With this orthopedic specialty, we hope to restore them to a functional baseline. Also, arthritis will be diagnosed and treated.
Urology: The ability to use diagnostic and surgical equipments to detect and treat prostate issues will be a great relief for many men who are the patriarchs of the community.
General Surgery: There is a high prevalence of breast cancer in the community. Undetected breast cancer has led to the death of many patients who could otherwise have survived in advanced countries. With mammograms, ultrasound, and other diagnostic capabilities and treatment (including surgery), the lives of many women will be prolonged with a meaningful quality of life. Also, the center will cater to other common surgical procedures, such as appendicitis. There are instances of people who get infected from appendicitis and die from it largely due to inadequate equipment and poor sanitary conditions.
Neurosurgery: Many accident victims and people who fall with brain hemorrhage die without proper care. There are few imaging centers for CT Scans, MRI, as well as X-Rays in the area. With qualified doctors and good equipment, patients will be diagnosed expeditiously and surgically treated to save lives.
Obstetrics and Gynecology: Both infant and maternal mortality are still high. The availability of adequate ultrasound and surgical suites to care for mother and baby are essential to curtail the loss of lives. Also, infertility issues will be diagnosed and treated.
Primary Care: There will be a need to have doctors around the clock to serve as primary care physicians for many patients in the communities. This will serve to detect diseases early and manage chronic conditions for many people who only go to the hospital when the disease is well advanced.
The overall vision is to erect another building for in-patient rooms with emergency care that could become a major trauma center.
Medical Missions
This center will serve as an ideal venue for medical missions because it can accommodate up to 200 medical personnel with state-of-the-art operating rooms. Everything is contained within the secure campus where doctors treat patients without leaving the premises. It will be great for efficient, safe, and quality delivery of healthcare to those who need it.
Dr. Cordelia Uddoh embarked on several medical missions to improve the well-being and health of Nigerians at home. Two of those missions are mentioned below:
Ogun State (2018): In August of 2018, Dr. Uddoh joined a team of Nigerians in the Diaspora for a surgical cataract mission at Olabis Onabanjo Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), formerly known as Ogun State University Teaching Hospital (OSUTH), located in Sagamu, Ogun State. During this mission, 38 cases of cataract out of 50 planned cases were performed by the team of three eye surgeons. The individuals who benefitted from the mission were those who could not afford to pay for such services at regular hospitals. Through this voluntary venture, their sight got better and improved their quality of life.
Imo State (2019): In July of 2019, Dr. Uddoh was part of another medical and surgical eye mission to Obogwe Ohaji, Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria. The mission was focused on the most indigent members of the community who had treatable medical conditions but could not seek help due to poverty. Overwhelmed by patients during the visit, Dr. Uddoh and her colleagues set up a make-shift operating room in the garage of a compound. This mission brought relief to hundreds of individuals who were suffering due to poor vision, poor health, and poverty.