Paediatric surgeons elect Roland Osuoji president

Association of Paediatric Surgeons of Nigeria (APSON) has elected Professor Roland Iheanyichukwu Osuoji as its 6th president.

His election was the highpoint of the 21st annual general meeting and scientific conference of the professional group.

This conference was held at the American University  in Nigeria International Hotel, Conference  and Spa in Yola, Adamawa State, Nigeria from September 26-30, 2022, according to a statement on Wednesday.

Prof. Osuoji,  an honorary  consultant paediatric surgeon with Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and a professor of surgery with Lagos State University (LASU) succeeds Prof. Auwal M. Abubakar who served for two terms from 2018 -2022.

In his acceptance speech, the newly elected president showered glowing praises on his predecessor, who is also the chief medical director of the Modibbo Adama University Teaching  Hospital Yola and chairman, committee  of chief medical directors of Nigerian Teaching Hospitals.

Osuoji noted that Auwal Abubakar and his executives  have made huge impacts to APSON, both  in their service to the Association and in the advocacy  for Nigerian Children  requiring surgical cares.

He promised to build on the gains made in the past years by the previous leaders; to strengthen the Association; and exploring ways for the delivery of optimal care to children with surgical needs in Nigeria.

APSON was formed in  2001, and had her inaugural meeting in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital(LUTH), Idi-Araba, with Emeritus-Professor Nene Agugua-Obianyo, as the first President.

APSON has over the years been at the forefront of delivering  top notch specialist surgical services to children in the country. Some of their  exploits and feats include, but not limited to successful separation of Conjoint twins which was first  conducted in the country  by indigenous Nigerian Surgeons at the University of Nigeria  Teaching Hospital, Enugu, in January, 1988.

The children are still alive and well after 34 years of follow-up.  So far, many of such feats have been repeated at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital and National Hospital Abuja.

They have also been engaged in delivering free rural surgical outreaches to children in the underserved  areas. The most recent of these was held in Ganye Local Government Area of Adamawa state from September 23-25, 2022, where a team of paediatric  surgeons and other health care professionals conducted over 70 days case operations on such children.

Beside  surgical services, members the Association have been involved in training of medical students and postgraduate students.

For the postgraduate students, they organise update courses , seminars and mentorship programmes  and these efforts have helped in no small measure to produce top notch paediatric  surgeons in the country.

Despite all this landmark achievements,  more has to be done, given that with a population of 200 million people, and children constituting well over 25 per cent of this number, there are  only 130 Paediatric surgeons in Nigeria, although some  have migrated overseas.

Over the years, APSON has been driving  research and innovations in child surgery in Nigeria and West Africa. With their highly rated and flagship journal called African Journal of  Paediatric Surgery, they have sought to disseminate information  via peer reviewed  articles  and commentaries.