Health

COVID-19: NCDC Says Patients To Be Discharged Without Testing Negative

Published

3 years ago

June 4, 2020

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) on Thursday June 4, said a negative laboratory test is no longer required to discharge a COVID-19 patient, as symptomatic patients will be discharged earlier than usual after they have stop showing symptoms of the disease – fever and respiratory symptoms).

Also, asymptomatic patients will now be discharge 14 days after their first positive test to the virus.

This is based on new data from Singapore that shows that RNA detected beyond 10 days is no longer infectious as no viable virus is grown by viral culture. Therefore, such patients will be discharged but advised to continue self-isolating at home one week after discharge.

The Director-General of the NCDC, Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, who made this known at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, in Abuja, said: “There have been new science emerging about the duration of infectivity of individual patients. It led to the WHO issuing new clinical guidelines.

“We then convened colleagues across our organisation, the department of hospital services of the Federal Ministry of Health, as well as other colleagues with whom we work, to review our guidelines and issue new guidelines for the country and of course adapting it to local circumstances.

“The key thing is that the management of COVID-19 will be made primarily supportive; we don’t have any treatment so far that has any proven impact on morbidity.

“One of the major changes that have happened is the discharge criteria. While these guidelines are obviously and primarily targeted at physicians managing patients, it is important that patients and people know. There are two groups of patients – symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.

“For symptomatic patients, they may now be discharged at least 10 days after symptoms onset and at least 3 days without symptoms. If your symptoms last for longer, we will wait for longer managing you supportively.

“If you are asymptomatic, you can be discharged 14 days after your first positive test. So, we no longer have to wait for a negative test to discharge. This way you can go home with confidence that you are no longer infective and you’re not putting your family and friends or anyone else at risk.

“We are not encouraging that people be discharged while they are still symptomatic. We are talking about discharging people that are asymptomatic and have recovered. That is, you are symptomatic and have recovered or you are completely asymptomatic throughout your clinical episodes”, he added

On the use and availability of personal protective equipment (PPEs), The NATION reports that the NCDC boss urged both public and private hospitals to procure their own PPEs and factor it into the cost for healthcare delivery.

He said, “Our hospitals both public and private, really need to include the purchasing of personal protective equipment in their procurement plans. These are things that they have to buy to keep their hospital going.

“What we are doing now is simply a response to an outbreak – managing logistics, sending around PPEs across the country. This is definitely not what we should be doing as a country. So, that has to change as we refigure our health system to include this.”

(NATION)

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Health

World Hearing Day:Wilbon ENT, Head And Neck Clinic Offers 30 People Free Ear Disease Treatment

Published

6 days ago

March 15, 2023

Editor

The management of Wilbon ENT, Head and Neck Clinic marked the World hearing day with free hearing and ear disease screening to over 30 indigent patients in celebration of the day .

The 2023 World Hearing Day has as its theme: ” Ear and Hearing Care for all ! Let’s make it a reality.”
with theme.

At the event on Saturday, March 4, put together by Medical Director, Wilbon ENT, Head and Neck Clinic , Dr Patrick Okundia said it was an opportunity to give back to the society in the free hearing screening and ear disease treatment.

According to him, over 30 people benefited from the free hearing screening and ear disease treatment.

On his part, a medical expert with the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Dr Eustace Oseghale gave a health talk to
sensitize the public on the need for regular check up on Ear, Nose Throat care.

The beneficiaries were full of praises for the Medical Director, Dr Patrick Okundia .

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Health

UBTH ENT H&N Dept Marks World Hearing Day, Reiterates Commitment To Quality Service Delivery

Published

2 weeks ago

March 5, 2023

Editor

Medical Experts from the Department of Ear Nose Throat Head and Neck Surgery (ENT H&N), University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) have marked the 2023 World Hearing Day with a pledge to provide Ear and hearing care for all.

The 2023 World Hearing Day has as its theme: ” Ear and Hearing Care for all: Let’s make it a reality.”

The Chief Medical Director, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) , Prof. Darlington Obaseki who acknowledged the good works of the ENT H&N department, reiterated his support for the department in the area of improving ear and hearing care.

Other stakeholders who spoke during the World Hearing Day 2023 highlighted the importance of ear and hearing care.

A cross section of participants at the event.

As part of activities to mark the 2023 World Hearing Day, the ENT H&N team also paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof Lilian Salami, who restated her continued support for the sister institution’s medical experts.

Delivering a lecture entitled, ” Ear and Hearing Care for all! Let’s make it a reality” Chief Medical Director, Delta State University Teaching Hospital (DELSUTH), Oghara, Prof. Nekwu Okolugbo noted that the hearing day was key in re-dedicating special attention to issues of Ear and hearing care for all.

The event which climaxed with the hearing screening and free ear treatment, where over 80 patients benefited from the exercise, had in attendance renowned medical Experts who included, Edo Health insurance commission, Dr Owen Omorogbe, and a former commissioner for Health in Edo state, Dr. Patrick Okundia.

Group photograph of medical experts.

Others include, Head Department of Ear Nose Throat Head and Neck Surgery (ENT H&N), University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Dr. Amina Okhakhu, Director General, Edo Health Insurance Commission, Dr. Rock Amegor ,LOC Chairman Dr Eustace Oseghale and the Edo State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Obehi Akoria among others.

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Health

How Nigeria’s High Fertility Rate Promotes Insecurity – Experts

Published

4 weeks ago

February 19, 2023

Editor

Nigeria’s high fertility rate is associated with increased insecurity, banditry, underemployment, and maternal and infant mortality in the country, experts have said.

Nigeria’s fertility rate, which is said to be 5.3 births per woman, is one of the highest in the world.

The fertility rate is the number of children born alive to women during the year as a proportion of the average annual population of women of the same age.

The Chairman of the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning, Dr Ejike Orji, said the growing youth population encouraged insecurity in the country.

“We have this youthful bulge where 72 per cent of the population is under the age of 30. They don’t have jobs, so they can easily be recruited as bandits, kidnappers, religious bigots, ethnic bigots and unscrupulous politicians.

“That is why we have this very terrible insecurity that we have in the country right now, and we have 18.5 million out-of-school children. After that, you see a high level of emigration because young people are finding Nigeria very uncomfortable, and both skilled and unskilled are leaving the country.

“Then, you have armed robbers, kidnappers, and bandits killing people all over the country,” Orji said.

Also, the President of the Association for Reproductive and Family Health, Prof Oladapo Ladipo, said the negative effects of overpopulation were expressed in different ways, including insecurity.

He said, “When you have the nexus of overpopulation, underemployment, inequity, what you have is a growth of radicalism and banditry, and that is what we have now.

“What you need is qualitative reproduction, not quantitative reproduction. Have the number of children you can cater to and bring up in a healthy environment, and provide resources for their education.

“But what we have now is reckless reproduction, and that is why we have so many almajiris. We have many people with certificates but no jobs.

“The government itself is overwhelmed by the population. The number of bed spaces is not enough for the population. The number of institutions is not enough for the youths that are growing up,” he added.

The experts, however, said with free maternal health services and an increase in family planning, funding would reduce the high fertility rate and maternal mortality.

Nigeria’s maternal mortality rate is still among the highest in the world, with an estimated 512 deaths per 100,000 live births, making the country far from achieving the Sustainable Development Goal target of reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live births.