Ikemba Of Nnewi Placed On 'Artificial Breathing Machine'

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 21, (THEWILL) – The controversy surrounding the state of health of the Ikemba of Nnewi and former Biafran warlord, Dim Odumegwu Emeka Ojukwu was settled today when the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, Dr Anthony Mbah announced that the politician has been fitted with ‘an artificial breathing machine’ at the medical facility.

Dim Ojukwu is also expected to be flown to an undisclosed medical facility abroad as soon as doctors determine that he can handle the rigours of flying in an air ambulance.

The CMD informed anxious reporters that Ojukwu was transported to the facility unconscious on Sunday but that Cardiologists led by a Consultant Cardiologist, Professor Vincent Ike have managed to stabilize him.

“He was brought to the accident and emergency department of the hospital in an unconscious state last Sunday. His blood pressure was quite low and he was not making enough urine,” the CMD told reporters.

“Right now, I can say the blood pressure has stabilised and he is making enough urine, though his level of consciousness has not improved greatly but efforts are in top gear to fly him abroad. As a hospital, we have already provided transport oxygen and we are updating his medical certificate every moment in order to get ready for his rapid evacuation.

“The opinion of the medical team working on him is that he has a stroke attack and as I’m speaking, he is on a ventilator, which is an artificial breathing machine, just to help his breathing because he was breathing excessively when he was brought here.

“I also have it on good authority that the family is thinking of getting a flying ambulance to take him away,” he added.

The Ikemba is married with children to former beauty queen Bianca Onoh and they reside in Enugu.