2012 Healthcare Hero: Dr. Osaretin Idusuyi, American-based Nigerian Doctor who runs free Hospital in Nigeria Honored by the American Red Cross Society

There are very few doctors as inspiring and generous as Dr. Osaretin Idusuyi. As an orthopaedic surgeon, he returned to Nigeria after being trained in the United States of America to contribute his quota to the health care sector in the country but was appalled to find that his people lacked basic health care. He therefore sought to rehabilitate the clinic in his community and convert it into a medical center. He makes biannual visits to the hospital and personally pays the salaries of the staff.

For this and many more contributions to healthcare delivery, he was recently honored by the American Red Cross Society.

Dr. Idusuyi, who carrries out his practice at the Orthopedic Center of Illinois, United States of America was among the 11 individuals that were honored by the American Red Cross Society. He was honored with the award of ‘Healthcare Hero’ for using his own resources to build a free health-care clinic in his native Nigeria.

The list of those that were honored are: (top row from left) Bill and Austin Wilhour, Jack Sunderlik, Ray Wiedle, (middle row) Evan Stevens, Dr. O.B. Idusuyi, Brooklyn Sheppard, Joe Solomon, (bottom row) Rebecca Schick, Kyle Romadka and Elbert Betts.

Here’s how the State Journal Register reported it:

Heroes come in many forms.

There are those who spring to action to aid a friend, loved one or total stranger in peril, often placing themselves in harm’s way. And there are those who devote innumerable hours to bettering the lives of others and strengthening their communities in the process.

The 11 local heroes honored in nine categories Friday morning at the American Red Cross’ seventh annual Heroes Breakfast run the gamut.

They range in age from 7 to 69. They have saved lives in their own towns and on the battlefield in Afghanistan. They have provided desperately needed health care to poor children in Nigeria and given Springfield kids who have been expelled from high school a second chance at earning their diplomas.

Dr Idusuyi, M.D. Orthopedic Center of Illinois joined the faculty of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine as an assistant professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation. He has since been promoted to Associate Professor. He came to the School from the Center for Orthopaedic Care in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he completed a foot and ankle fellowship.

Idusuyi earned his medical degree at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tenn. (1990) and completed a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, Minn. (1996). He also completed a surgical internship at Martin Luther King Medical Center in Los Angeles (1991). He earned his bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Xavier University in New Orleans, La. (1985).

He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Academy of Surgeons and the American Society of Black Surgeons. His research and writings have focused on knee and hip arthroplasties and foot and ankle conditions.

A native of Nigeria, Idusuyi and his wife, Valerie, have three children, Joshua, Brittany and Johari.

Below is a video of his colleague, and the doctor himself speaking about the hospital and the award.

He speaks about his hospital which treats about 20-25 people a day. According to him, when he makes his visits to the hospital, he gets to treat up to 200-300 patients daily. The clinic focuses on primary health care.

He started the hospital when he finished orthopaedic school. With his training, he wanted to do surgeries but when he got there, he found out that what they really needed was basic health care to treat diseases like Malaria and Cholera.

“When I come, they make me feel like a hero. Everybody just gathers around me, it’s like I don’t deserve all this,” he said.

As a surgeon, he gets to perform some minor surgeries but wants to make it more standardized where he can perform orthopaedic surgeries.

To him, he feels like he is gaining more from them rather than them gaining from him. He is inspired by the smiles on the faces of children after treating them from illnesses like Malaria.

While the location of the hospital in Nigeria isn’t mentioned in the video or the news, his contributions to healthcare delivery in Nigeria is well appreciated and his award comes as a source of pride to Nigeria.

To sum up his entire experience at the hospital, he ended with this poem written by an Indian poet:

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy
I awoke and saw that life was service
Behold I acted, service was joy”

Inspiring!

Watch Video:

News Source: State Journal Register