Invest In Medical Education To Improve Health Care – NPMCN Boss Urges FG

By Chioma Umeha

The President, National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria (NPMCN) Dr. Ademola Olaitan has said that Nigerians would see improvement in the postgraduate medical and dental education sector, if the current government of Muhammadu Buhari reforms and massively invests in the medical education.

Meanwhile, the college has conferred honorary fellow award o

n the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar in recognition of his relentless advocacy for improved healthcare in the country and stemming the outbreak of communicable disease.

Olaitan while delivering the 34th convocation lecture of the NPMCN, pointed out that funding is a major challenge facing the institute.

According to him, “The Postgraduate medical and dental education in Nigeria is passing through a turbulent period. While funding is low the frequent work stoppages in various Teaching Hospitals does not allow for trainees fulfillment of the prescribed minimum period of clinical placement and rotation that qualify them for examination.

“It is the opinion of the College that high investment in medical education by government will yield high quality of patients care but frowns at frequent strikes that disturb training and insists on completion of scheduled postings and rotation to qualify for examination.

The College President added that top among the investments in the sector will be the resuscitation and funding of the one year abroad that exposed post part one residents to practice in the developed world and also the procurement of modern equipment for diagnosis and treatment.

Also two former registrars – Dr Michael Akintayo Bankole and Dr Kamil Olanipekun Alausa were honoured with its distinguished award in recognition of their contributions.

Appreciating the College, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, said: “I have received so many awards but this award is the most important.”

He, however, noted that it was unfortunate that the country while basking in the euphoria of being at the verge of polio free now saw the emergence of three new cases.

“As a religious leader, I have been working in collaboration effort with the health institutions in ensuring optimal health of the citizenry.

He further decried the situation whereby a woman who is trying to bring into life another being dies.”

Also, 340 fellows took a bow from the institution today, they comprised those who had completed the compulsory clinical placement and rotation of not less than five years in accredited teaching and specialist hospitals, and had surpassed the prescribed examinations. In all, the college had graduated 5,387 fellows since inception in 1979, thereby saving the country billions of dollars, which would have been spent on overseas training.”

Why Six Died Of Diarrhoea After Consuming ‘Abacha’ Salad In Lagos

Lagos state government has traced the recent outbreak of cholera to consumption of African salad aka “Abacha.”

The Commissioner for Health in Lagos state, Jide Idris, at a press conference, disclosed that investigations so far showed that the main source of the outbreak is from the consumption of the African salad popularly called Abacha.

According to him, not less than six people died of the disease which affected a total of 45 persons in the state.

“The Ministry was notified of an upsurge of diarhhoea diseases in some communities in Isolo LCDA. Following this, 45 cases were line-listed by the Epidemiology Unit of the Ministry. Six deaths were recorded among the 45 cases. Majority of the cases did not present with the classical rice-water stool, rather they presented with a typical diarrhoea and vomiting,” he said.

According to him, Ano-rectal swabs were collected from 15 cases and taken to the Central Public Health Laboratory, Yaba. He said that there were no growths initially, but that continuous culture yielded Vibrocholerae from seven out of the 15 samples.

“The Vibrio cholera was later confirmed to be Ogawa strain. The main suspected source of infection is the salad called Abacha, a staple food of the residents of Isolo LCDA and adjourning LGAs/LCDAs.Some domestic Wells within the communities are also suspected. Samples of the Abacha salad and well water were collected and sent to the Lagos State Drug Quality Control Laboratory for analysis.

“The report of the analysis revealed the presence of Vibrio cholerae, Salmonella species and E.coli in abacha and one of the two well water samples.

“Cholera is an acute diarrhoea disease with or without vomiting caused by a bacterium, referred to as Vibrocholerae and it is transmitted through ingestion of food or water contaminated with infective faeces. Food or water contamination is usually due to poor sanitation and the source of contamination is usually other cholera cases when their infective watery stool gets into food or drinking water supplies. Prevention of cholera can be achieved through basic water sanitation, such as boiling water of unclean sources. Cholera can kill within hours if left untreated,” he said.

He explained that about 75 per cent of people infected with V. cholera do not develop any symptoms, although the bacteria is present in their faeces for seven to 14 days after infection and that they are shed back into the environment, potentially infecting other people.

“Among people who develop symptoms, 80 per cent  have mild or moderate symptoms, while around 20 per cent develop acute watery diarrhoea with severe dehydration. This can lead to death if untreated. The case fatality of Cholera ranges from less than one per cent in treated cases to as high as 50 per cent in severe cases.

“Cholera usually present clinically as nausea, profuse diarrhoea, vomiting (in early stages of illness), fever and leg cramp. Later presentation is dehydration, shock or coma. The risk of contracting cholera is increased mainly by poor water and environmental sanitation, including open defecation.

“26 cases were managed at Isolo General Hospital and Lagos Mainland Hospital. 22 have been discharged, one died, while three are still on admission at Lagos Mainland Hospital. All the three cases that are still on admission are in stable conditions.

“17 of the cases were managed at Private Health Facilities (Healing Cross Hospital, Isolo- four cases, Bola Hospital Isolo- five cases, West Care Hospital, Ejigbo – five cases and New Line Hospital, Isolo- three cases. Three of the 17 cases died. All the 14 cases on admission have been discharged,” he said.

Etisalat, Boost Fight Against Malaria, Distributes Mosquito Nets

One of the country’s innovative telecommunications operators, Etisalat, has boosted the fight against malaria with the distribution of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to residents of Owutu community, in Ikorodu, Lagos State and Enuwa Square, Ile Ife in Osun State.

The exercises in commemoration of the 2016 World Mosquito Day, forms part of an ongoing Pan-Nigeria crusade by the telecommunications giant against the scourge of malaria in the country.

Speaking during the presentation at Ile Ife, the Manager, Corporate and Social Responsibility, Etisalat Nigeria, Oyetola Oduyemi, said the exercise was in keeping with the company’s passionate commitment to sustainable development. “One of the key focal areas of our CSR intervention programme is health, and this initiative forms a part of it. We have a target to distribute tens of thousands of insecticide-treated nets across the nation in the fight against malaria. We have been to some communities in states like Kogi, Kaduna, Enugu and Rivers. We are taking it further to more communities in the South West,” she said.

While receiving the items on behalf of the Ile Ife community, the palace secretary, Mr. Idowu Salami, expressed delight at the exercise just as he lauded the telecom firm for taking up the fight against malaria which claims millions of lives yearly especially in Sub-Saharan Africa due largely to environmental reasons.

His words, “the scourge of malaria is on the increase due to poor sanitation practices; this provides a breeding ground for the activities of mosquitos which leads to malaria. We are glad that Etisalat put this programme together. We are sure many of the people who have benefitted from this initiative can protect themselves from mosquito bites and malaria attacks.”

At Ikorodu West Local Council Development Area, Lagos, the insecticide-treated mosquito nets were received by Hon. Samson Umar, who noted that Nigeria has one of the highest number of malaria casualties worldwide despite the many gains in the prevention and treatment of the scourge.

According to the Nigerian National Malaria Strategic Plan 2014-2020, malaria is responsible for 60 percent of outpatient visits to health facilities, 30 percent of childhood deaths, 25 percent of deaths in children under one year, and 11 per cent of maternal deaths.