Chioma Umeha

The long awaited Reload Multivitamin Win -Win promo raffle draw, which was held among Pharmaceutical companies in the retail segment of the market, ended last Wednesday with 27 persons emerging as winners. The promotion which started in the month of September ended in December 2015 with a raffle draw event which produced winners of the various prizes including, the grand prize of an all-expense paid trip to Dubai. The highpoint of the event is the emergence of Ikymavian Pharmacy Nigeria Ltd, Shomolu, Lagos as the grand prize winner of the all-expense paid trip to Dubai out of over 250 participants/retailers. The draw was picked by Mrs. Abiola Paul Ozieh the Chairman of Association of Community Pharmacist (Lagos Branch) and special guest of honour at the Reload Multivitamin raffle draw event. She commended Reload Multivitamin for engaging the retailers as well as rewarding them for supporting the brand. Prior to the grand prize draw, various prizes of 10 units of p

Critical care services in Nigeria like other West African countries had been hampered by government apathy towards funding of hospitals capital and manpower flight overseas. Recently, things are somewhat improving with the government’s willingness to invest more in healthcare, and clampdown on resource diversion in the country. To save capital flight overseas and provide improved health care services, the 68 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital Yaba (NARHY) Lagos under the Command of Brig. Gen. CB Wanda, Consultant ENT Surgeon last Tuesday, Commissioned the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the hospital during its annual medical lecture. Speaking during the occasion, obviously elated Wanda, the Commander of 68 NARHY said that the new Intensive Care Unit is meant to serve both military and civilian patients of the hospital who are in need of critical care. An intensive care unit (ICU), also known as an intensive therapy unit or intensive treatment unit (ITU) or criti

It was a moment of double honour for Prof. Ujah Innocent, the Director General (DG) Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR), Yaba, Lagos as he was conferred with two awards by Arewa Youth Assembly (AWA) and Northern Youth Council (NYC) in one occasion. While the Arewa Youth Assembly, conferred on him with “Sir Ahmadu Bello Platinum Leadership Peace Award,” the Northern Youth Council bestowed on him, “Defender of the Northern Youths Award.” Conferring him with the award on behalf of the Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) Dogo Shagari, Deputy Speaker, AYA, said that Ujah was being honoured because of his exemplary leadership. According to Shagari, his group is inspired by Ujah’s character and ideology, even as they described him as “personality of a great, visionary and foremost nationalist that has, and continues to provide a standard reference point for this generation, demonstrating a true and selfless leadership characterized by dynamism and efficiency.” L

• Says it’ll complete Ayinke House project in 12 months The Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris has announced that there is renewed commitment by the present administration to ensure improved and quality healthcare for Lagos residents, explaining that activities in the sector will be geared to reflect the mantra of change the government of the day. Speaking Tuesday at a media parley held at the Conference Room of the Ministry, Idris noted that measures are being taken by the administration to ensure the realisation of this objective. The Lagos Health Ministry boss stressed that the challenges in the health sector may seem insurmountable, but the administration of Governor Ambode is committed to solving the problems step by step and systematically. Idris further said that this administration would focus on attitudinal change among health workers, amongst other issues to be addressed in order to achieve effective and qualitative service delivery to the general populace.

• Ready to announce 1st set of  internationally prequalified products Having been certified by World Health Organisation(WHO) since September 2014 for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), May& Baker PharmCentre said weekend that it would soon announce the first set of Nigerian internationally prequalified products. Declaring this weekend, was the Managing Director/Chief Executive of May & Baker Nigeria Plc, Mr. Nnamdi Okafor, at the company’s end of year media parley held to appreciate the commitment of the media, especially in partnership with his organisation, even as he said that they fulfilled financial returns of the company in 2015 compared to 2014. While revealing that their initial products have been accepted by the WHO for assessment for pre-qualification, he said: “Very soon we shall be announcing the first set of Nigerian internationally prequalified products, while we continue to show deep commitment to excellence in all aspects of GMP.” However, the Chief Executive,

As a show of love and in the spirit of sharing, a non-profit organisation, Benola, A Cerebral Palsy Initiative, has donated relief materials consisting of food items and toiletries to Hearts of Gold (HOG) Children’s Hospice. Making the presentation weekend, Femi Gbadebo, Founder/CEO, Benola, A Cerebral Palsy Initiative, who led the delegates to HOG Children’s Hospice at Plot 75 Alhaji Masha Road, Onilegogoro, Surulere, Lagos state, explained that Benola’s visit was part of his organisation’s Christmas outreach efforts to identify with indigent children who are living with disabilities. Gbadebo expressed optimism that the items given to them would go a long way in helping the beneficiaries as well as experience the warmth and sharing identifiable with the Yuletide season. Newswatch Times reports that the organisation, founded and co-founded by Gbadebo and his wife, Alaba, is committed to change and progress for persons living with Cerebral Palsy. Their mission is to strive fo

Experts have warned that the increase in diseases and deaths associated with  HIV infections among infants has virtually eroded most of the previous gains towards elimination of Mother-To-Child Transmission (MTCT)  in Nigeria. The warnings came during a just concluded two-day meeting at Bayview Hotel, Enugu, which assessed individual and collective efforts towards eMTCT of HIV with emphasis on communications through the mass media. The meeting was organised by members of Journalist Alliance for Prevention of Mother-To-Child Transmission of HIV in Nigeria(JAPiN) with support from United Nations Children Fund(UNICEF).  A communiqué signed by Sola Ogundipe, National Coordinator, JAPiN said: “An undisputed observations show that the morbidity and mortality associated with pediatrics HIV infection has virtually eroded most of the previous gains towards elimination of MTCT in Nigeria.” More worrisome is the fact that not less than 60,000 new infections are recorded among children i

Ahmed Yakasai is the new President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN). In a briefing with some select journalists, recently in Lagos, Yakasai urged the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Folorunso Adewole, to facilitate the immediate reconstitution of the Pharmacists Council of Nigeria and appoint at least one pharmacist on each of the Boards of Federal Health Institutions. The new PSN President said this appeal was part of the highpoints of his presentations to the Minister of Health, during his recent courtesy visit to the Minister’s office. Other issues in his presentations to the Minister were requests for the National Health Act implementation, urgent intervention in critical sector areas like the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), and so on to save the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry. Yakasai whose formal inauguration as the President of PSN comes February 2016 in Abuja, insists that the Minister should address all pertinent, emerging and contemporary issues crit

The National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) has commenced a four-day free medical screening programme consisting of HIV Counseling and Testing (HCT), test for diabetes, hypertension and malaria as well as deworming for children in Shomolu Local Government Area of Lagos State. Over 5,000 residents of Shomolu are expected to benefit from this four-day free medical care programme slated to run from Monday, December 14 till today at strategic locations within the Shomolu Local Government Area. Speaking at the flag-off of the programme at Olaleye Market, Shomolu, the Principal Programme Officer of NACA, Mrs. Ronke Adeoye noted that the HCT outreach campaign is geared towards making residents to know their HIV status through counseling testing and help achieve the 2030 goal of zero new infection, zero discrimination against people living with HIV as well as zero AIDS related death. L-R Acting Cheif Executive Officer, Lagos State AIDS Control Agency, Dr Olusegun Ogboye; C

FrieslandCampina WAMCO, one of the   foremost dairy companies, garnered 13 awards in 2015 ranging from ‘Most Improved’ and ‘Most Respected’ to one of the ‘Best Three Tax Compliant Companies in Nigeria’ awards recipient. FrieslandCampina WAMCO emerged, “Most Improved Company in CSR” at the 2015 SERAs – Social Enterprise Report and Awards – in recognition of its remarkable corporate social responsibility strides, especially with its Dairy Development Programme (DDP). Mr. Rahul Colaco, Managing Director/CEO, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc  The Dairy Development Programme that earned FrieslandCampina WAMCO the “Most Improved Company in CSR 2015” award enables dairy farmers to run their businesses optimally and bring dairy production to higher volumes and quality. To facilitate this programme, FrieslandCampina WAMCO setup four milk collection centres (MCCs) in Fasola, Alaga, Maya and Iseyin as well as a milk bulking centre (MBC) in Iseyin, Oyo State. BusinessDay Media Ltd,