THE health condition of Ikemba Nnewi and former leader of Republic of Biafra, Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu now on admission at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Enugu remained critical as members of his family intensified efforts to fly him abroad for further medical attention.
He has been placed on a life supporting machine called Ventilator, artificial equipment that helps someone to breathe properly having been diagnosed to be breathing excessively.
Medical experts at the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital have been battling to restore his health condition but it was learnt that no meaningful improvement had been made since he was admitted at the hospital Sunday afternoon as a result of stroke.
Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Tony Mbah, confirmed when contacted said that Ojukwu’s level of consciousness has not improved since he was admitted, adding that there were plans to fly him overseas for further treatment.
He said that the UNTH medical team have continued to do its best to provide the needed medical treatment which, according to him, has helped the blood pressure to stabilize.
He said: “His Excellency, Odumegwu Ojukwu, Ikemba Nnewi was brought to the Accident and Emergency Department of UNTH two days ago. He was unconscious, the blood pressure was quite low and he was not making enough urine. He was promptly admitted into the Intensive Care Unit, ICU, and the doctors in-charge of the ICU, the anesthesiologists were there. The attending physicians all rallied round immediately.
Professor Vin Ike, the Head of the Medical Team and Dr. Ike, Head of the Anesthesiology team, the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, CMAC and I were all there.
“Diagnostic procedures were properly availed to him and treatment started. As we were there in the Intensive Care Unit the blood pressure began to appreciate and he started making urine. Right now he is making sufficient urine and the blood pressure has stabilized and it is normal. The only thing is that the level of consciousness has not appreciably changed since admission.
“Right now effort is being intensified to see whether he can be transferred overseas for further treatment. We have provided all that is necessary including transport oxygen, if that is needed. And we have given the directive that the medical certificate be updated regularly just in readiness for his rapid evacuation as the need arises. That is where we are. He is still in the intensive care unit.”
Dr. Mbah said that the opinion of the medical team was that the former Biafran leader had “stroke” otherwise called cerebrovascular accident which could come at anytime.
He further explained that the decision to place him on ventilator, artificial equipment that enables somebody to breathe was because of the discovery that he was breathing excessively, explaining that he was not taking enough air for himself, so we decided to use the ventilator to help him breath and there is now evidence that the oxygen saturation is okay.”
Vanguard learnt that Ojukwu’s family and the Anambra State Government were making arrangement yesterday to move him out of the hospital for treatment overseas. Part of the arrangement was to source an air ambulance that could fly him safely to the oversea hospital where his situation could be well handled.
Although, his son, Emeka Ojukwu jnr was seen at the ICU of the hospital Tuesday, he could not be reached for comments on his father’s ailment as operatives of the State Security Service, SSS deployed to the hospital, prevented newsmen and visitors from accessing the ward.
Source:http://www.vanguardngr.com/
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