Health and Life Style
Covid -19: Group raises alarm over importation of Chinese doctors to Nigeria
A group has condemned the importation of Chinese Doctors and experts into Nigeria to assist in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, saying it is illegal and contradicts the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. adsbygoogle || []).push({}); com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js">
In a statement issued by Lifeline Centre for Medical and Health Rights Advocacy (Lifeline Centre) in Abuja and signed by Professor Uwakwe Abugu, Notary Public (President) on behalf of board of trustees.
He said the offer was Greek and therefore must be rejected.
The statement reads;”it is no longer news that the Federal Government has concluded plans to bring in some Chinese doctors to purportedly assist This move has elicited widespread objections and condemnation from relevant stakeholders in the Nigerian healthcare delivery system, notably the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ). These and other well meaning citizens who are opposed to this Greek offer from China are critical stakeholders whose views cannot be disregarded by any meaningful government as the Federal Government is bent on doing.
“Evidently, the Law on the registration of foreigners for the purpose of practising medicine in Nigeria as set out in the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, Cap. M8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 is clear and unambiguous. A foreigner who obtained a medical qualification from any institution outside Nigeria and who wishes to practice medicine in Nigeria must first satisfy the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, that his qualification was obtained from an institution approved by the Council. Upon the satisfaction of this condition precedent, he must proceed to submit himself to a test, screening and other due diligence to satisfy the Council that his training, skill, competence and character are such as would not jeopardize the life and health of Nigerian patients.
“In this insalubrious episode, there is not yet any evidence that the doctors (so called) who are about to be rushed in and unleashed on Nigerian COVID-19 patients from China have met these condition sine qua non to interact with patients in Nigeria”.
He noted, “More worrisome is the fact that the records of COVID-19 infection, recoveries of patients and death so far in Nigeria, do not suggest that there is such emergency as to sidetrack the due process of the law for the protection of the same patients for whom these doctors are being brought in the first place.
“Lifeline Centre believes that there are more demanding healthcare challenges and emergencies in Nigeria now than the invitation of the Chinese doctors”.
He urged the Nigerian government, “There is no doubt that ventilators are not only critical to the treatment and recovery of all COVID-19 patients but, in fact, all critical intensive care cases. It may be estimated that Nigerian hospitals would require over 5million ventilators to adequately serve Nigerian patients. With the prevailing scarcity of ventilators worldwide, it would have been thought that the government would be creative enough to discuss with and empower willing local manufacturers such as Innoson Motors Ltd and others to venture into manufacturing ventilators for local use.
“Again, it is heart-rending that in Nigeria today there is no system of compulsory medical liability insurance and life insurance policies for all levels and classes of medical and healthcare personnel. Common sense would suggest that deploying energy and resources into these areas should appear to be more critical and same would serve as a morale booster for frontline caregivers who are daily risking their lives for the rest of us.
“It is abundantly clear that we lack enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our medical personnel for the war against COVID-19, and other infectious diseases. One is persuaded to ask, what efforts are the government making in ensuring that there are enough quality equipment for our frontline caregivers, or are they relying on the used and disused ones from China? The intriguing thing here is that most of these equipment do not require rocket science for their manufacture locally. Given government’s creative engagement with local manufacturers, our case will be different”.
On sustainance, the group tasked the government to provide evidence of distribution of food and materials worth over N100 billion as stated by Minister of Information, Lai Muhammad,
“Most States in Nigeria are now in their second week of total lockdown. As uncaring as our different governments are, it is clear that no special arrangements were made for the sustenance of Nigerians, majority of whose food depend on daily income. The result is that restrictions on movement are only being adhered to in breach than in observance. It was almost after one week that the government started making uncoordinated, uninspiring and halfhearted attempts at distributing cash and other relief items.
“From all indications there appear not to be any clear modus operandi or clear cut scheme for reaching the right people in the distribution exercise. Few days ago a statement credited to the Minister of Information asserted that there were no hungry Nigerians because the government had distributed food and materials worth N100billion. May be only the Minister can provide data of the real hungry Nigerians that benefited from the acclaimed largesse”.
Lifeline Centre for Medical and Health Rights Advocacy (Lifeline Centre), a Not for Profit and a Non-Governmental Organization with the mandate of pursuing, promoting and enforcing the medical and health rights of Nigerians and championing advocacy for policy reforms and extracting professional accountability and best practice from medical and healthcare personnel is vehemently opposed to this idea for legal and strategic reasons.
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Health and Life Style
You may damage your eyes while using your computer if….
A Warri-based eye specialist, Dr Eugene Maxwell, has advised individuals who operate the computer to always wear protective gears to avoid eye complications.
The Optometrist during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025 in Warri also said that the Ultraviolet Rays (UVR) from the computers and cell phones could damage the eyes.
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According to him, people who roast yam and plantain on the streets are also prone to developing eye problems, and as such should wear hats and sunglasses.
The optometrist observed that cases of eye complications such as cataract and glaucoma were on the increase.
He attributed this to lack of awareness and advised people to carry out regular eye examinations for early detection.
“The eye lens is a fragile organ in the body which starts to degenerate at the age of 40, leading to pacification – a condition that causes part of the body to become opaque.
“Early detection of cataract is crucial in the treatment of the condition,” he said.
Maxwell described cataract as the cloudiness of the lens in the eyes that impedes vision, which could either be congenital or hereditary.
“Cataracts can occur as a result of systemic conditions such as diabetes and intake of toxic substances.
“People should practice regular eye check, avoid smoking, manage health conditions such as diabetes and eat healthy diets to prevent complications,” he said.
He advised members of the public to wear hats, sunglasses, reduce or avoid alcohol intakes, and take antioxidants such as vitamin A, C and E to stay healthy.
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Education
Kogi Governor Ododo’s Payment of WAEC Fees Excite Beneficiary
By Abah Benjamin Eneojoh
The Kogi State Executive Governor, Alh Ahmed Usman Ododo’s groundbreaking decision to pay the 2024/2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WAEC) fees of 18,734 students final-year students has sent waves of excitement and optimism across Kogi State.
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This bold move not only alleviates financial burdens on families of the beneficiaries but also reiterates the government’s commitment to quality education as a cornerstone of development.
Virally, it is trending that Governor Usman Ododo has approved immediate payment of 2024/2025 West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) fees of 18,734 students in public secondary schools in Kogi state.
The aim of this is not just to lessen the burden of fees on the parents of the beneficiaries, but also to reduce the out-of-school children in Kogi State. By this Gov. Ododo is timely executing the mandates of the Northern Governors Forum which is to reduce out-of-School Children in the Region.
By shouldering WAEC fees, Governor Ododo ensures that no child is denied access to quality education due to economic constraints. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance teacher effectiveness, upgrade school infrastructure, and improve access to quality education. Kogi State has already seen a surge in student enrollment rates, kudos to programs aimed at improving access to learning resources
Beyond education, Governor Ododo has championed significant improvements in the health sector. The state has witnessed the establishment of new clinics and the upgrading of existing facilities, particularly in rural areas. The innovative SAVE A LIFE INITIATIVE provides free testing and screening for hypertension and diabetes patients, ensuring a healthier life for citizens
Infrastructure development remains a cornerstone of Governor Ododo’s achievements. Lokoja’s transformation is evident in road construction and rehabilitation, easing transportation and commuter challenges, and boosting economic activity . This gesture has thrown Kogi State into Infrastructure Hub.
The governor’s focus on economic growth, coupled with the recent approval of an international airport, will create jobs, stimulate business opportunities, and contribute to the state’s economy, reducing unemployment rates that will curb vices.
By prioritizing education, investing in health, boosting the economy, and improving infrastructure, Governor Ododo is paving the way for a transformative era in Kogi State, empowering every individual to reach their fullest potential.
Indeed, the citizens of Kogi State are enthusiastic about the rhetorical question “if not Ododo, who would have done all these for us?”
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Health and Life Style
Top 3 States Combating Neglected Tropical Diseases In Nigeria
Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) are viral, parasitic and bacterial diseases that mainly affect the world’s poorest people.
They are also regarded as a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in about 149 countries globally and affect more than one billion people across the world. js">
The governments of Ondo State, Ekiti State and Osun State are on top of the list of the governments working to tame this diseases as they are not complacent or leaving anything to chance in its preparedness or response to cases of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), its health officials have said.
The diseases to include Lymphatic Filariasis (Elephantiasis), Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH), Onchocerciasis (River blindness), Trachoma (Granular Conjunctivitis) and Schistosomiasis (Bilharzia).
Others are: Rabbies, Leprosy, Yaws, Snakebites, Leishmaniasis, Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), Mycetoma and Fascioliasis.
Investigations by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in the states shows that the government and its international partners including Mithosath and UNICEF have sustained the response to NTDs through sensitisation of the populace, provision of potable water, treatment and ensuring clean environments.
The Ondo State Coordinator of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), Mrs Olanike Oladipupo, said that the state government was working assiduously with all stakeholders in addressing cases of NTDs across the state.
In an interview with NAN in Akure Oladipo said “there is collaboration with the Ministry of Water Resources to ensure that everybody in the state has potable water to drink and use.
“We do enjoin our people to avoid the use of stream or ocean water. People can easily contract infection or diseases such as schistosomiasis and onchocerciasis from such sources because black flies lay their eggs there.
“ Government is also working in earnest to clear drain channels across the state . There was a project carried out in recent time in collaboration with the University of Osun and Ondo State Government whereby some rivers in Ondo State were cleared.
“The aim of the project was to reduce black flies in some communities in the state. If there is reduction, the rate of bite and transmission will be reduced as well,” she said.
The NTDs coordinator said that the Ministry of Environment was also educating residents of the state on proper disposal of their wastes, saying there was aggressive campaign for adherence to environmental sanitation on regular basis to prevent outbreak of diseases in the state.
According to her, the state government is in partnership with Mithosath, a Non-Governmental Development Organisation and UNICEF in addressing NTDs in the state.
“ We have been collaborating with Mithosath, an NGO, and UNICEF so that there is proper dissemination of information about NTDs and the treatment across the 18 local government areas of the state.
“As it is known, government cannot do it all, other stakeholders should support.
“ The partnership enables us to get to people at the community level and they are in charge of NTDs programmes, so that no one will be left behind about NTDs and what they can do to prevent the diseases and the treatment.
“In that, Mithosath is helping the state to ensure that people have access to preventive chemotherapy like worm repellants and other necessary things.
“Those are the drugs given to people during mass campaign. Nobody is paying for the drugs and it’s for everybody.
“Before we distribute, we carry out powerful advocacy in all local government areas so that people will come out in large numbers to access the drugs. And they will use them in our presence, that is Directly Observed Therapy (DOT).
“ UNICEF is also doing a great job as regards this. It ensures hygiene promotion such as a programme called WASH, giving support to the government so that people will not bathe in rivers and streams nor defecate there. They also provide logistics,” she said.
Oladipupo explained that some of the NTDs could be prevented even without taking drugs, depending on one’s attitude to cleanliness and proper hygiene.
She said that through the partnership with the Mithosath many affected by NTDs across the three senatorial districts of the state had benefitted from surgical operations.
“There is Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention. This also goes to Mithosath in supporting the state. Some people that have hydrocele, that is swelling in their scrotum and those with lymphatic filariasis have access to free surgery.
“ The phase one was done in Idanre in the Central Senatorial District and the phase two was done in Okitipupa in the Southern Senatorial District of the state while the third phase is ongoing now as I speak with you in Ikare Akoko in the Northern Senatorial District.
“ The most common NTDs in the state are: schistosomiasis, which is a water-borne infection, lymphatic filariasis; onchocerciasis which is also known as river blindness and it is caused by black flies and soil transmitted helminthiasis, which is worm disease, and it is common among school age children.
“ The state government has intervention of distributing worm tablets to them so that their growth will not be stunted,” she said.
Also, the Ekiti Government says modern best practices at sustaining quick responses and preparedness to outbreak of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), among others, are being adopted by the state.
The Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Oyebanji Filani made this known in an interview with the NAN in Ado-Ekiti.
He said Neglected Tropical Diseases, NTD’s are not new and as such are being tackled headlong.
“The state government therefore is doing everything humanly possible to prevent such diseases from escalating in identified communities.
“We are in collaboration with various multi-national agencies, among which is Mitosath, working with Ekiti State Primary Health Care Development Agency (ESPHCDA), to fight NTDs,” Filani said.
He assured that for now, Neglected Tropical Diseases are under control in the state
” Presently the state is distributing drugs, I mean mass distribution, to pre-school and school age children, to prevent transmission,” he said.
A community health doctor at the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, Dr Ipinmoye Taiwo, identified poor awareness, especially among people in rural communities, as a challenge to ending the spread of the diseases.
“The diseases are called neglected because they tend to affect the world’s poorest, and yet, receive less attention than other diseases,” he said.
He called on governments at the national and state levels to get involved in ending NTDs and its spread across the country.
In Osun, the state government has put in place measures to fully monitor, combat and control any outbreak of diseases, Dr Abiodun Boladale, an official in charge of NTDs in the Ministry of Health, has said.
Boladale said that the department of public health in the ministry was on top of situation and highly prepared to respond to emergencies in the state.
“Lasa Fever and Covid outbreaks equipped the state for emergencies and presently we have emergencies operation centres in the state where diseases are monitored.
“NTDs are among the diseases we are monitoring on the dashboard of the centres.
“We also have ‘Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response Unit’, which form part of the team monitoring diseases relating to NTDs.
“We are working with Disease Surveillance Monitoring Officers and Disease Notification Officers at the local level to stay on top of diseases’ outbreaks in the state.
“We also have NTDs officers at the local level who keep the ministry informed and document diseases outbreaks.” he said
Boladale said in case of outbreak of NTD outbreak, the state would follow national guidelines in managing them.
He said some foreign partners and organisations, in conjunction with the Federal Government, had been providing drugs and other medical support to the state to handle NTDs.
The official said that the Osun State University recently received a research grant for Schistosomiasis, a major NTD peculiar to the state.
NAN
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