RSUTH, Rotary Club Partner to Raise Awareness on Thrombosis
The Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), in partnership with the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Atlantic City and Symbiotica, joined the global community to commemorate World Thrombosis Day with a public health sensitization programme themed “From Head to Toe, Take Control, Prevent Thrombosis, Protect Your Health.”
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The Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH), in partnership with the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Atlantic City and Symbiotica, joined the global community to commemorate World Thrombosis Day with a public health sensitization programme themed “From Head to Toe, Take Control, Prevent Thrombosis, Protect Your Health.”
The event, held at RSUTH, aimed to raise awareness about thrombosis — a leading but often under-recognized cause of death globally — and to promote preventive health measures among patients and healthcare providers.
In his welcome address, Prof. Chizindu A. Alikor, Chief Medical Director of RSUTH, reaffirmed the hospital’s commitment to advancing public health through awareness, research, and preventive care.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Emmanuel Wobo, Head of the Department of Haematology, described thrombosis as a serious but preventable condition. He revealed that hospital-acquired venous thromboembolism (VTE) accounts for 55–60% of all thrombosis cases, adding that over 10% of deaths due to pulmonary embolism are only discovered post-mortem.
He stressed the importance of preventive strategies such as early ambulation, risk assessment using the Caprini score, and prophylaxis for at-risk patients. Dr. Wobo particularly commended the Postnatal Ward of RSUTH for achieving a 100% risk assessment rate and recording zero VTE-related incidents in the past three years — a model for other departments to emulate.
Calling for stronger inter-professional collaboration, Dr. Wobo urged doctors, nurses, and laboratory scientists to work together to reduce the burden of thrombosis. “A multidisciplinary approach is key to patient safety and the effective management of VTE,” he noted.
RSUTH management also appreciated its partners — Sanofi/Symbiotica, the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Atlantic City, and the Association of Female Medical Laboratory Scientists of Nigeria — for their support in making the event a success.
The commemoration underscored the need for continued education and collaboration in tackling thrombosis and improving public health outcomes across Nigeria.
