ENUGU— NO fewer than 900 heart surgeons will this month storm Nigeria for a congress of the African Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons, AATCVS. 

The choice of Nigeria as destination for the congress is believed to have arisen from Nigeria’s recent successes in open heart surgeries. Scheduled to hold in Enugu between September 11 and 15, 2017, the congress has this year’s theme as “Safe, effective and sustainable cardiovascular surgery in Africa.” Chairman of the local organizing committee, 

Prof. Martin Aghaji, said in Enugu that over 900 delegates from all over Africa will participate in the brain-storming congress. They will be led by the association’s President, Prof. K.H. Yageni-Angate of Ivory Coast.

 Prof. Aghaji of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Ituku-Ozalla, disclosed that the session would be a bi-lingual congress in English and French, with all papers translated to the two key languages. 

The renowned cardiologist explained that this year’s assembly coincides with the 50th anniversary of the world’s first human to have heart transplant performed on December 3, 1967, by Prof. Christian Bernard of South Africa. Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, are expected to perform the opening ceremony at the congress.