SSA : Nigeria :The Bridge Clinic

The Bridge Clinic

Managing Director: Dr. Richardson A. Ajayi

Lagos Office
Plot 1397A Tiamiyu Savage Street
Victoria Island, Lagos
Tel: +234-1-4619006; 0700-thebridge
Fax: +234-1-4612807

Ikeja Office
63 Oduduwa Crescent
GRA Ikeja, Lagos
Tel: +234-1-4485401-2, 0702 880 6815
Fax: +234-1-4612807

Port Harcourt Office
41A Evo Road
GRS Phase II
Port Harcourt, Rivers
Tel: +234-84-763975, 793531, 764664, 465003-5, 0702 814 2295
Fax: +234-84-465003

Website: www.thebridge.com

Contact mail: enquiries@thebridgeclinic.com

Sector: Healthcare

About us

The Bridge Clinic is the first solely focused Assisted Conception Unit in Nigeria. We were set up in 1999 in collaboration with a team of consultants from Kings College Hospital with the sole objective of providing Nigerians with the same standard of fertility services available to them in the United Kingdom. To assure the fulfillment of this obligation and reproducibility of these results, we decided to reproduce the infrastructure internationally as well as adhere to the codes of conduct of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

Initially our treatment programs were managed by the team from the United Kingdom who travelled to Nigeria to treat our clients in batches while concomitantly training some staff members at the prestigious Kings College Hospital. By April 2001, a fully trained Nigerian team was in place to carry out the responsibilities of anchoring treatment. Since then our program has been carried out by them with the team from Kings College Hospital visiting regularly to assure the quality of treatment we provide while transferring knowledge of new and emerging technological advances in assisted conception technology. The team from Kings College Hospital also audits the activities of the clinic on a regular basis.

In recognition of the pertinent need to assure the quality of services we provide to our clients, we implemented a Quality Management System following the award of the Quality Management Certificate by TUV Austria in 2004; ahead of most clinics in the United Kingdom. By constantly adhering to these standards we have kept our success rates at par with fertility clinics within the top 10% rankings in the United Kingdom.

Since commencement of our clinical operations in 1999, we have achieved the following feats:

• A letter of commendation from the Lagos State Government

• The City People Award, for Medicine in Nigeria in 1999.

• The Guild of Medical Directors achievement award.

• The Junior Chamber International Award for Medical innovation.

• Distinguished award from the Society of Obstetrics and Gynaecologists of Nigeria (SOGON) in recognition of our outstanding contribution in clinical service delivery towards the promotion of maternal health care in Nigeria.

• The largest number of pregnancies from assisted conception in Sub-Saharan Africa; we have assisted in the conception of almost 1, 000 children to date

• The first conception and births by ICSI in Nigeria in 2000.

• The first conception and birth from surgically collected sperm in Nigeria 2002.

• The first conception and birth of babies through IVF Surrogacy in 2003.

• The first conception and birth of babies with Micro Sort sex selection 2003.

• Opening of The Bridge Clinic Port Harcourt in 2003.

• The first Clinic in West Africa to be awarded an ISO certification (the Quality Management certification) from TUV Austria in 2004.

• Successful re-audit of The Bridge Clinic Quality Management System (QMS) in accordance with ISO 9001:2000 from the certifying body TUV Austria in 2005 and 2006.

• 500 Babies!! Thanksgiving celebration (08.04.2006 at the Agip recital Hall, Muson centre, Onikan, Lagos in 2006.

• Successful re-certification of The Bridge Clinic Quality Management System, according to ISO 9001: 2000 by TUV Austria in 2007

• Opening of The Bridge satellite clinic in Ikeja in 2008.

• Incorporation of The Bridge Clinic as a subsidiary of The Bridge Healthcare Company in 2008.

• Birth of 923 Babies as at January 2009.

• 10th anniversary celebrations over the year 2009 inclusive of a Photo Exhibition held in Terra Kulture in March and a Children’s Party at The Muri Okunola Park in June.

Our Brand Fundamentals

Our Mission

For couples with Infertility who wish to achieve a pregnancy, we will be the first choice, because we can be trusted to provide them with their best chance of a pregnancy.

Our Core Values

Commitment; at The Bridge Clinic you are assured of our dedication to completely assisting you in your journey to parenthood because it is our obligation to stay the course with you.

ISO Standards; by achieving and maintaining internationally approved standards of best practice, you are assured of the best possible opportunity of attaining conception.

Honesty; at The Bridge Clinic your anticipations for achieving conception as a couple are managed by giving you the real facts and truth about your fertility potential. As medical professionals we are bound by a code of ethics at the core of which is confidentiality; and with this charge we render our services in a discrete, professional but individualized and personal manner. Our honesty and services are based on our medical expertise, scientific skills and experience.

Caring; our services revolve around you, we strive for excellence in medical treatment in a caring and supportive environment.

Our Services

With our expertise over the last 10 years we are well equipped to provide a comprehensive assortment of assisted conception services through our team Gynaecologists, Fertility Specialists, Embryologists and Fertility Nurses. The treatment programme prescribed will depend on the identified needs of the couple and may consist of one or a combination of the following plans:

• Ovulation Induction and Cycle Monitoring
• Intrauterine Insemination with (or without) partner’s sperm
• Conventional In-Vitro Fertilisation
• Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection
• Ovum Donation
• Cryopreservation services for Embryos, Semen
• Others:

• Surrogacy services
• Sperm storage
• Sex Selection for Family balancing
• Counselling services
• Screening service

Ovulation Induction and Cycle Monitoring

For women experiencing irregular menstrual cycles, monitoring with ultrasound scans and hormone assessments may help to identify the fertile time of the month and so improve the chances of natural conception. If ovulation is not occurring then drugs may be administered after the onset of menstruation to stimulate egg production.

Fertility injections which are more effective than tablets may be used to stimulate oogenesis by the ovaries. As these drugs are more potent, there may be overstimulation of the ovaries with over production of eggs which put women at risk of multiple pregnancies. Women receiving fertility injections must be monitored by serial ultrasound scans.

Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)

IUI involves the injection of treated sperm from the husband, partner or donor into the woman’s uterine cavity via the cervix. It is performed on an outpatient basis. The chances of success are increased if the insemination is combined with ovulation induction using small doses of fertility drugs (10 - 15% per cycle).

The development of the ovarian follicles is monitored with ultrasound and the insemination is timed to take place 36 - 40 hours after administration of the hormone (hCG) injection, which triggers ovulation.
IUI should be performed in cases where the woman has healthy fallopian tubes confirmed by laparoscopy and the sperm preparation is satisfactory.

Conventional In-Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)

IVF is the most effective treatment for couples with tubal factor infertility in isolation or in combination with other factors. Following stimulation with fertility drugs, eggs are collected and fertilised outside of the body in the laboratory. The embryo is transferred into the uterus on either the second, third or fifth day of its development.

Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)

ICSI is the revolutionary advancement in the management of couples in which the male infertility exists in isolation or plays a dominant part. This procedure has been instrumental to the achievement of embryo transfer in about 95% of couples with male factor infertility. Few spermatozoa are required for this procedure in which the sperm is injected directly through the egg shell into the egg itself.

Ovum Donation

We run two Ovum (Egg) Donation programmes in which donor eggs are fertilised by the recipient’s partner’s sperm with subsequent transfer of embryos following their development.

This we do as either Own Donor programmes; where the couple brings their own donors to the clinic for screening and subsequent stimulation OR as part of our Egg Share programme where gold-standard clients are encouraged to share their eggs with couples who require ovum donation instead of discarding them.

Cryopreservation Services

Cryopreservation or Freezing of embryos is available to couples who may wish to freeze excess embryos in the eventuality of another cycle, without going through extensive drug treatment.
Semen freezing is useful for and encouraged in men who experience difficulties in ejaculating on demand especially when a sample must be produced on the day of egg collection.

Other Services we offer include;

IVF Surrogacy: This is an option for women who have fully functional ovaries but are incapable of carrying a pregnancy to term for reasons such as not having a uterus, having had multiple miscarriages or having severe medical conditions which are incompatible with pregnancy. Eggs are collected from the woman after she has been on fertility treatment for the stipulated period of term and fertilised with her partner’s sperm. The embryos are then transferred into the womb of the surrogate for implantation and onward development of the foetus.

Sperm Storage: We have a sperm bank of quarantined, infection-free donors which is available for medical practitioners and practices that are qualified to carry out fertility treatment.

Sex Selection for Family Balancing: We afford families the opportunity to have gender balance in the family within ethical considerations using Microsort Technology. This service we provide in collaboration with Genetics and IVF Institute, Fairfax, Virginia in the United States of America.

Counseling Services: As we understand that a huge part of our work involves emotional management of clients, we have a trained counselor on our team who runs clinics at least twice a week. Our fertility nurses are trained to managing our clients emotionally and we have instituted different initiatives to provide support for our clients.

Screening Services: At The Bridge Clinic we preach the message of prevention, early detection and management. We have Screening services to enable people determine their fertility potential, general well being and presence of sexually transmitted infections.

Our Success Rates

Overall Treatment Cycles

Our Team

In spite of our appreciation of the benefits of hands-on training, we have recognized the need for and kept our team of Fertility specialists and Embryologists abreast with this rapidly advancing healthcare field. We have trained 3 Embryologist in the University of Leeds who have been awarded with a Master of Science degree in Clinical Embryology and our Fertility specialists are exposed to different fora for discussion and exchange of new clinical and scientific ideas in the field of Reproductive Medicine with their peers internationally.

Technical training is received at our clinics in Lagos and Port Harcourt as well as at the Assisted Conception Unit, King’s College Hospital, United Kingdom; Medicult Fertility School, Copenhagen, Denmark; and the Tygerberg Hospital, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.

Our clinic has a Board of Directors composed of distinguished medical and non-medical professionals chaired by Dr. O. A. Finnih.

Our Operations teams include;

Embryologists

Fertility Nurses

Counselor

Our support staff

 The Bridge Clinic Advantage

The Bridge Clinic practice Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) Guidelines

It is a legal requirement in developed countries like the United Kingdom (UK) that all clinics carrying out fertility treatments that involve human gametes such as IVF are licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Unfortunately there are no such regulatory authorities in Nigeria. However in recognition of the pertinence of regulation, we at The Bridge Clinic have benchmarked ourselves with the HFEA standards and always operated as if under their mandate.

• Ethics Committee

Our ethics committee consists of professional and lay people who meet on a regular basis to discuss any ethical considerations which may arise in the management of our clients. They have been closely involved with the clinic since the beginning and have helped us resolve many difficult ethical issues. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis taking all parties, their contributions and the ramifications of all the possible alternatives into consideration within acceptable medical, religious, moral, legal and ethical boundaries.

The committee’s objectives are:

• To provide objective advice to the clinic on the appropriateness of procedures used at the clinic in rendering treatment to patients
• Act as a check system and shield from public opinions

• Counseling

Professional counseling services are offered freely to all couples undergoing treatment at The Bridge Clinic. We recommend that every couple use these facilities. The counselor’s role is to assist couples by exploring and evaluating all the possible treatment alternatives, prepare for the treatment ahead, and offer ongoing support. In particular, we urge all couples undergoing treatment using donor eggs or sperm to receive counseling. Counseling is not an assessment of the couple. All information and discussion are done in strict confidence. Appointments with the counselor can be arranged through our Client-coordinators.

• Our Quality Management System EN ISO 9001:2000

The Bridge Clinic runs a Quality Management System that complies with the EN ISO 9001:2000 and Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA) standards for Assisted Conception which has been drafted collaboratively by the professional bodies of the assisted conception sector and the HFEA.

These standards are structured to follow a quality management system model, and detail the measures necessary to demonstrate compliance with legal requirements and are regularly reviewed and amended to keep pace with developments in clinical practice and changing legislation.

In April 2006, the European Tissues and Cells Directive came into force, and HFEA inspections under the directive commenced in April 2007. The Bridge Clinic incorporated this into its system since 2004 ahead of most of the clinics in the United Kingdom.
These standards help The Bridge Clinic comply with the Tissue Directive and the HFEA Act. The application of this quality management system to assisted conception services which The Bridge Clinic provides, supports the drive towards continual improvement and a consistency across all our processes in the following areas:

Work Flow

Our workflow at The Bridge Clinic involves processes, which are studied, documented and developed, and we have systems in place to ensure that these processes are being consistently reviewed. There is a distinguished interlink amongst all processes.

Results

The Bridge Clinic was set up to provide high quality fertility treatment including IVF (and ICSI) to Nigerians in Nigeria. Since inception, we have completed over 4,500 IVF/ICSI treatment cycles with the birth of almost 1,000 babies following treatment at all our clinics. The HFEA performs an annual audit of the results of treatment from all licensed clinics in the United Kingdom. We have always had informal audits from Dr Virginia Bolton formerly of Kings College Hospital now at St. Thomas Hospital, London, who is also an HFEA inspector, and Mr. John Parsons of King's College Hospital, London.

We have also invited an international audit firm of Akintola Williams Deloitte to carry out a verification exercise of the results of treatment at The Bridge Clinic which has been published and uploaded on The Bridge Clinic's website.

Staff Training, Proficiency and Certification

The Bridge Clinic is committed to continuous staff development and provides its entire staff with the opportunity to attend national and international fertility conferences, professional seminars, management seminars, participate in presentations and publish articles in journals. To keep abreast with the rapidly advancing science of human reproduction, we register our Embryologists for a Masters in Clinical Embryology at the University of Leeds.
Following initial/basic and update training, the proficiency/competence of each staff to perform assigned activities is evaluated and certified at intervals specified in the quality management system. Retraining is also undertaken when the need is identified.

Reducing Risks

The widely publicised problems with gamete mix-up in two UK clinics led the HFEA to mandate that all clinics carrying out IVF services introduce a witnessing program to control all activities that involves the handling of human gametes to eliminate the risk of gamete mix-up. The Bridge Clinic introduced a witnessing program as an essential part of our treatment program and the quality management system in 2003.

Equipment Validation Process

At The Bridge Clinic we undertake the validation of all equipment especially in the Laboratory with strict adherence to the manufacturer’s specifications, which also covers review of validation documentation.

Supplier/Logistics management

Supplier partnership is established at The Bridge Clinic through the evaluation and selection of the suppliers based on their ability to supply products in accordance with the organisation's requirements. Criteria for selection, evaluation and re-evaluation are established on regular basis.

Customer Feedback

The Bridge Clinic celebrates excellent customer satisfaction by implementing the customer satisfaction survey program and setting up an effective system for handling complaints.

Continuous Improvement Process

Continual improvement process of the quality management system is strictly adhered to on a quarterly basis where action plans for improvement are developed, documented, implemented and reviewed.