WHO WE ARE
WE ARE VOOM FOUNDATION
The Vincent Obioma Ohaju Memorial (VOOM) Foundation was established to raise standard of care and create a sustainable medical program in Nigeria.
VOOM Foundation was born from the vision of Dr. Vincent Ohaju, Chief of Surgery & Medical Director for Trauma Services at CHI St. Joseph Health in Bryan, Texas. Originally from the town of Ihitte, in South Eastern Nigeria, Dr. Ohaju had personally witnessed the effects of inadequate available medical care on friends and family. His father, Vincent Obioma Ohaju passed away in 1983 at the age of 56 due to complications from pulmonary aspiration. A simple procedure such as bronchosocopy readily available in even the smallest hospital in the United States could have prevented his demise.
It was a close and personal reminder to Dr. Ohaju that over 95% of the people in Nigeria live without essential medical services. In 2016 the World Health Organization ranked Nigeria 187 out of 190 countries in healthcare.
The Nigerian healthcare system is poorly developed and suffers from several recent epidemics. Despite Nigerian’s strategic position in Africa, the country is greatly underserved in the healthcare sphere. Health facilities, expertise, personnel, medical equipment and major diagnostic modalities are inadequate, especially in rural areas.
VOOM Foundation was born from the vision of Dr. Vincent Ohaju, Chief of Surgery & Medical Director for Trauma Services at CHI St. Joseph Health in Bryan, Texas. Originally from the town of Ihitte, in South Eastern Nigeria, Dr. Ohaju had personally witnessed the effects of inadequate available medical care on friends and family. His father, Vincent Obioma Ohaju passed away in 1983 at the age of 56 due to complications from pulmonary aspiration. A simple procedure such as bronchosocopy readily available in even the smallest hospital in the United States could have prevented his demise.
It was a close and personal reminder to Dr. Ohaju that over 95% of the people in Nigeria live without essential medical services. In 2016 the World Health Organization ranked Nigeria 187 out of 190 countries in healthcare.
The Nigerian healthcare system is poorly developed and suffers from several recent epidemics. Despite Nigerian’s strategic position in Africa, the country is greatly underserved in the healthcare sphere. Health facilities, expertise, personnel, medical equipment and major diagnostic modalities are inadequate, especially in rural areas.
OUR HISTORY
VOOM HISTORY
2020
VOOM Foundation ceased medical missions for the year due to COVID-19 Pandemic. Unable to travel due to restrictions, the VOOM board of directors diligently worked on our partnership withe Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation to build The Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, a new private facility in Oriafite, Nigeira. In agreement by both parties, VOOM will serve as the medical partner for the newly formed hospital. VOOM Foundation sent four 40ft containers of donated medical equipment and consumable supplies to Oriafite in preparation for the program launch scheduled in late 2021.
VOOM also sent several containers of equipment and supplies to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) in Calabar, Nigeria. UCTH cardiac program is also set to launch sometimes in 2021 when travel into the country is permitted.
VOOM Foundation ceased medical missions for the year due to COVID-19 Pandemic. Unable to travel due to restrictions, the VOOM board of directors diligently worked on our partnership withe Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation to build The Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, a new private facility in Oriafite, Nigeira. In agreement by both parties, VOOM will serve as the medical partner for the newly formed hospital. VOOM Foundation sent four 40ft containers of donated medical equipment and consumable supplies to Oriafite in preparation for the program launch scheduled in late 2021.
VOOM also sent several containers of equipment and supplies to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) in Calabar, Nigeria. UCTH cardiac program is also set to launch sometimes in 2021 when travel into the country is permitted.
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2019 VOOM Foundation partners with Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation to build a free standing private hospital, the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, in Oriafite, Nigeria. In a memorandum of understanding VOOM agrees to deliver the medical program with an intent to train and educate the local staff and install standards based on quality. 2017March 2013 through May 2017, VOOM Foundation perform a total of 12 medical missions and assists in six others. The medical teams have perform a total of 169 open-heart procedures exceeding the total number of cardiac procedures in the previous 26 years. Each VOOM medical mission typically includes a group of up to 15 medical volunteers from across the nation – as well as other countries, Canada, United Kingdom, and India. 2012Exploratory study, design and preparation for the re-opening of the open-heart surgery in Nigeria at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital. 2004In 2004 and inspired by his father’s death – Dr. Vincent Ohaju establishes the VOOM Foundation as an international medical humanitarian organization. The initial goal is to provide independent, impartial medical care in Nigeria and surrounding developing countries. |
2018 VOOM Foundation begins a partnership with Lagos State Univeristy Teaching Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria. 2015The local team performs the first unassisted open-heart surgery since the missions began in 2013. Two other missions were conducted this year. Each trip is approximately two weeks long and includes evaluation of patients and confirmation of diagnoses. 2013In 2013, VOOM Foundation creates a partnership with the “University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital” in Enugu. Nigeri. UNTH is considered a Cardiothoracic Centre of Excellence and pioneeres the only open-heart program in the country in 1974. By 2003, UNTH completes a total of 102 open-heart cases in a country with a population of 126 million at the time. January 2013, VOOM Foundation begins shipment of the first 40-foot container worth of medical equipment and supplies including four ICU beds, ventilators, anesthesia machines, operating room tables, etc. 2011Eight medical volunteers conducted a four-day conference providing training in:
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We are guided by the following principles:
Dr. Ohaju believes those who can change a desperate situation have an obligation to try. |
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MISSION
VOOM Foundation’s mission is to provide impartial sustainable healthcare programs dedicated to quality, with a particular interest in supporting the underprivileged and underserved.
VISION
In the effort to fulfill this mission and continuously improve our programs, the Board of Directors and our volunteers are committed to the following values and principles:
VOOM Foundation will be a state-of-the-science healthcare and health access facilitator for its intended beneficiaries and a learning source for others in the provision of healthcare to patients.
VOOM Foundation will be a state-of-the-science healthcare and health access facilitator for its intended beneficiaries and a learning source for others in the provision of healthcare to patients.