The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has distributed 48 modern vein-finding devices to general hospitals across the nation’s capital in a move aimed at improving healthcare delivery and patient experience.
The equipment, alongside related accessories, was provided to the 14 secondary healthcare facilities under the Federal Capital Territory Hospitals Management Board (HMB).
In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Senior Special Assistant to the FCT Minister on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the Mandate Secretary of the Health Services and Environment Secretariat (HSES), Dr. Dolapo Fasawe, said the devices were procured through the intervention of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.
Fasawe described the equipment as critical tools for modern healthcare delivery, noting that they would significantly improve the accuracy and efficiency of venous access procedures in hospitals.
According to her, the advanced devices will assist healthcare professionals in locating veins for intravenous (IV) cannulation, blood sample collection, and other medical procedures, particularly for patients with difficult-to-access veins.
She said: “Vein finders assist healthcare professionals in locating veins for intravenous (IV) cannulation and insertion, facilitating blood sample collection (venipuncture), reducing multiple needle attempts, and improving access to veins in patients with difficult venous anatomy, particularly children, elderly persons, and obese patients.”
Fasawe explained that the technology would reduce the discomfort associated with repeated needle pricks and make treatment procedures faster and more efficient.
“These machines will make it easy to access a patient’s vein in a quick, painless manner. It will also make it possible for newly trained doctors to set up intravenous access without multiple needle pricks especially for children, thereby making hospital visits less traumatic for patients,” she said.
She added that the devices would also help healthcare workers assess superficial vein patterns more accurately, leading to greater clinical efficiency and improved patient outcomes.
As part of the rollout, representatives of beneficiary hospitals and healthcare personnel underwent practical training on the operation, application, maintenance, and safe handling of the equipment.
The training, according to the HSES, was designed to ensure effective deployment, optimal utilization, and long-term sustainability of the devices across all healthcare facilities.
The initiative is part of ongoing efforts by the FCT Administration under Wike to strengthen healthcare infrastructure through the deployment of modern medical technologies, improve service delivery, and enhance the quality of care available to residents of the Federal Capital Territory.
