Chioma Umeha

By: Chioma Umeha In furtherance to its food fortification initiative Nestle,  at the weekend in Lagos, launched  its Nestle Pure Life Protect, a variant of its bottled water brand, Nestle Pure Life Water which is fortified with zinc.  Speaking on the occasion, the MD, Nestle, Darnesh Gordhon, noted that Nigeria has challenges of water supply and added that the introduction of the Nestle Pure Life Protect was in recognition that good hydration is at the core of healthy lifestyle. “We believe strongly that good hydration is at the heart of healthy lifestyle. We also believe that when it comes to hydration, bottled water is the healthiest packaged beverage due to its absence of calories, controlled origins, taste and convenience,” he said, adding that Gordhon who said the new product was a demonstration of the company’s commitment to create innovative healthy hydration solutions in Nigeria, reiterated Nestle’s commitment to responsible water management through its value chains. 

By: Chioma Umeha Pharmacists have attributed the recent crisis rocking the Pharmacy Department, Federal Staff Clinic, Jabi, Abuja, to the high-handedness and poor management skill of its Chief Medical Director, Dr. (Mrs) Chinwe Ifeoma Igwilo, even as they called for her probe. Pharmacists, under the platform of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) who condemned her poor treatment of colleagues, said that proper probe of her department will arrest the confusion in the clinic and ensure its effective management. Last week, 20 protesting pharmacists shut down the entire pharmacy unit of the Federal Staff Hospital Abuja over what they termed unlawful treatment of pharmacists in the hospital and the transfer of the Head of Pharmacy Department, Pharmacist Taiye Olugun. The pharmacists, who were angry over the Chief Medical Director’s handling of affairs of the hospital, said things came to a head when she transfered the head of department. Pharmacist Douglas Tamunomielbi, who l

By: Chioma Umeha In less than 48 hours, all roads will lead to the Kwara State Government Banquet Hall, Kwara State where the much expected 86th annual National Conference of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN) – ‘Harmony’ 2013 will take place. The conference with the theme: ‘Evolving Best Practice in Patient Care” will be declared open by Alhaji Abdulfatah Ahmed, Governor of Kwara State, while the opening ceremony will be chaired by Justice Mustapha Akanbi (Rtd.), a former President of Court of Appeal and Former Chairman ICPC the next day.  Addressing journalists in his Pharmacy House office, Maryland Lagos, the PSN National President, Olumide Akintayo noted that this year’s conference will come with innovation in I.T and re-introduction of a scientific dimension which will feature poster presentations. Also on the cards will be the maiden Past President’s nite, an important forum designed to honour past leaders and legends of the pharmacy profession in Nigeria. Other h

By: Chioma Umeha  Every part of the body needs nutrients from foods and if what we eat and drink is not properly digested they cannot be absorbed neither can they be utilized by the cells of the body for energy, growth and repair. The result is that we get malnourished, get sick, age prematurely and die earlier than we should. Have you ever wondered why you sometimes feel so bloated after a great meal? You probably resorted to spending more money on some health salts to flush your precious food out of your system. It is worthy of note that many heath foods promoters are smiling to the bank on sales of food supplements that are said to heal a long list illnesses. Included somewhere in the middle of such lists are indigestion and constipation, which to me are really the crux of the matter. Somehow constipation and indigestion always seem to be hidden in the mist of so much talk that they always go unnoticed.To give you a few guidelines that would help you benefit from the foods

By: Chioma Umeha As six states in the country struggle with cholera which has already affected 373 persons with 74 succumbing to the disease, action has commenced to initiate sanitary precautions to control it. This is even as 30 other states, including the Federal capital territory (FCT) is now on alert to prevent cross infection. The action is coming on the heels of warnings by government authorities and experts for the public to do everything to stop open defecation and ensure access to clean water. For instance, the Minister of Health, Prof Onyebuchi Chukwu, on Monday, assured that the ministry had proffered ways of checking the infection, just as experts on Tuesday, urged governments at all levels to reintroduce sanitary inspection to control further outbreak of cholera and other communicable diseases. Prof Chukwu, gave the assurance at the 2013 Physicians’ Week, organised by Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Abuja, while addressing journalists, confirming that the six st

By: Chioma Umeha When her story broke recently, a number of sympathetic Nigerians expressed concern, giving her family hope that succour will soon come their way.  However, several months have gone without help from anybody for young Fatima Usman as she continues to battle two life threatening ailments at the same time. Like her peers, Fatima had the dream of running around with her siblings and friends, studying to excel in school and become a successful legal luminary. Today, all these seem a tall dream as she silently awaits death with unusual calmness for a child of her age. At five, Fatima Usman’s life is gradually ebbing, and like a candle in the wind may be snuffed out soon, if urgent help does not come her way.  According to the medical diagnosis, little Fatima has a heart disease and a life threatening malignant ulcer rapidly spreading to other parts of her body, and is about to render her armless. Before the diagnosis, Fatima was a bubbling child with big dreams,

By: Chioma Umeha Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), Monday pledged to support any initiative aimed at  increasing middle management surgical capacity across West Africa saying such increase in trained middle management surgeons would help check capital flight as a result of people seeking treatment  abroad from the sub-region. Governor Fashola, who spoke when he hosted Council Members of the West African College of Surgeons during their courtesy visit at the Lagos House, Alausa, said  the objective of such initiative would be to keep the people within the sub-region whenever there was a need for any surgical intervention.  Addressing the Council Members led by the College President, Professor Herve Yangni- Angate, he restated his support to every initiative by the College to improve health services in the country. The governor said: “I believe that the objective which you have so clearly articulated is to keep our people, at the very worst, within the sub-regio

By: Chioma Umeha Wednesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared multi drug-resistant TB (MDR-TB) a ‘public health crisis’ – and released an evidence-packed report to prove it. A lot has been written about what can be done to curb the spread of ‘virtually untreatable tuberculosis’ announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  However, the release of the world health body’s annual global TB report two days ago should be the data-filled nudge that demands everyone’s effort. The persistent creep of drug-resistant tuberculosis continues unabated. Here is a quick breakdown:  • About one in five of the 94,000 people diagnosed with MDR-TB (resistant to two of most commonly used drugs in the current four-drug regimen) are not being treated.  • Only about half of those being treated for drug-resistant TB are successfully completing treatment. Trends suggest this gap is only increasing.  • 10 percent of these cases are morphing into extensively d