Reciting Nigeria’s National Pledge is not just to show off but a call to responsibility. Doctor Gbolahan is a patriotic citizen with the improvement and well-being of the people at heart.
In recent times, the rate of leg amputation caused by a number of factors has been on increase. Often times, it has led to death. Doctor Gbolahan has risen up to be the bridge between this challenge both at home and abroad.
The CNN African Voices has recorded an interrogation session in video with the Doctor where he explained how the limbs are made. The doctor shows the processes that go into producing befitting artificial limbs for his patients. He makes the mould for the prosthetic device before he melts it in an infra-red oven. The melted plastic is wrapped around the mould and left to dry for about eight hours. When it cools, it is removed from the mould and polished with a grinder. When this is done, the patient needing the limb is invited to come in and try it on.
Each ready-made prosthetic limb is worth between 2,800 – 4,000 dollars in cost. The limbs are only available for adults at the moment. Doctor Gbolahan expressed his unhappiness on the affordability of the device by masses, why it’s cost will not be reduced for now as well as how he wishes that we soon get to a point when everybody in dire need can afford it.
Doctor Gbolahan speaking, “On the average, I see between 25 and 40 patients in the two weeks I am in Nigeria. Majority of them, we do the initial evaluation, give them the estimate. And then, once they are ready to pay, they will make another appointment to come back to get their prosthetic device. But I have to say, in Nigeria, everybody wants the same level of service, the same level of equipment, but they can really not afford it. Well, my dream is to one day see the prosthetic device to be available for as much lower cost to anybody that needs one.”
