A Professor of Radiology at the Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Prof. Chinwe Onwuchekwa, has called for the establishment of stroke and trauma centres in every state of Nigeria. She also urged government to include funding in budgets to subsidize treatment costs for underprivileged patients.
She explained that such centres should be staffed with well-trained health workers who can properly manage patients with stroke and trauma.
Prof. Onwuchekwa, who is the Head of the Department of Radiology and the first female radiology professor in Rivers State, made the call during an interview with journalists after delivering the University of Port Harcourt’s 201st inaugural lecture. Her lecture was titled “Unravelling the Mystery of Grey Shadows, Pains of the Head and Low Back.”
She said, “Government should set up stroke and trauma centres in every state of the nation with highly trained staff dedicated to managing these patients. Funds to run these centres should also be included in state and national budgets to reduce the cost of care for those who cannot afford it. Patients treated in such centres often recover better and faster.”
The professor stressed that social and physical rehabilitation is very important for people who survive stroke, head injuries, and cancer treatment. She advised that rehabilitation centres should be located in strategic areas of every state and funded by government to make them affordable.
She linked many cases of head injuries to road accidents caused by bad roads, poorly trained drivers, and people driving without licenses.
“Good road networks and proper evaluation of drivers and vehicles by government agencies are urgently needed,” she said. “Roads must be maintained regularly and traffic signs placed at the right points.”
She also called for proper driver training and testing before licenses are issued, adding that commercial vehicles should be carefully inspected before being registered. According to her, these measures will reduce road crashes and head injuries.
Speaking about her lecture, Prof. Onwuchekwa said inaugural lectures allow professors to share their academic journey and research achievements. As a neuroradiologic, she chose to focus on her studies in brain and spine imaging.
Explaining her title, she said radiology images appear in shades of black, white, and grey. These “grey shadows” represent tissues in the body — normal or diseased — which radiologists interpret to help doctors manage patients.
“Our role is to diagnose what we see in these images and advise the doctors treating the patients,” she explained. “If our advice is ignored and something goes wrong, the written radiology report is there as evidence.”
She noted that most central nervous system diseases are linked to the head and lower back. Conditions such as stroke, headaches, cancers, and trauma are often life-threatening because they affect the brain and spinal cord.
“When stroke occurs, it brings heavy physical and emotional burdens on both patients and their families,” she said. “Head injuries are especially dangerous because they can cause unconsciousness, disability, or even death.”
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Georgewill Owunari, praised Prof. Onwuchekwa for delivering a brilliant, humane, and insightful lecture.
He said, “Behind every grey shadow on a radiology image is a life, a hope, and a silent cry for healing. Radiology is not just a technical field; it is at the heart of modern medicine.”
The VC urged policymakers to invest more in radiology, noting that early detection of stroke, cancer, and other conditions saves lives and improves health outcomes.
