Health

World Doctors Slam Reps Over Mandatory Service Bill

Published

2 years ago

April 12, 2023

Editor

The President of the World Medical Association, WMA, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, on Sunday kicked against the House of Representative Bill mandating any Nigeria-trained medical or dental practitioner to practice in Nigeria for a minimum of five years before being granted full registration/license by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN.

Enabulele said as one who has engaged the issues of Nigeria’s health system, including the crisis of brain drain, for over 2 decades, he considers the proposition of the sponsors as “not only outlandish, but totally retrogressive, unresearched and very ill-formed.”

Enabulele who spoke after attending the 5th Global Forum on Human Resources for Health in Geneva, said the sponsor of the Bill claimed there are about 10, 000 doctors practising in Nigeria, adding that the claim alone clearly showed the unresearched nature of the proposal.

“From the information available to me, as at 30th December, 2022, there were 104, 327 medical and dental practitioners on the register of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, with the number of practicing doctors put at 56, 829. So, where did he get the figure of 10, 000 from?

“This Bill sponsored by Hon. Ganiyu Abiodun Johnson shows a clear lack of understanding of the push and pull factors buoying the crisis of brain drain in Nigeria and other parts of Africa; the region worst hit by the crisis.

“I really wonder how this proposition will solve the problem of brain drain which is largely traceable to the indecent and disabling working conditions and infrastructure, insecurity, uncompetitive wages, unemployment and underemployment of medical and dental practitioners, amongst other known factors, most of which I have spoken about over the last 2 decades. Indeed, the recently held 5th Global Forum on Human Resources for Health where I spoke at two important sessions, was in total agreement with this, and the need for a sincere approach to the resolution of these challenges.”

Continuing, he expressed shock that rather than come up with purposive and progressive solutions on how to transparently and comprehensively address the push factors accelerating the crisis of brain drain in Nigeria, through prioritised investments in the health system and the health workforce, they sought to come up with a proposition whose remedy is likely to generate a worse ailment and crisis.

“Furthermore, the Bill seeks to achieve its objective through an amendment of the Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Act. As is well known, a Bill seeking to repeal and re-enact this same Act was passed by the Senate in the year 2021 and awaiting concurrence by the same House of Representatives.

“With the time left for legislative business in the outgoing 9th National Assembly, one wonders how the sponsors hope to achieve their aim.

“The proposition shows a poor appreciation of the mechanisms, operations and regulatory framework of the medical profession, and the place and role of the practicing license.”

He further queried: “Where in the world do you deny someone, who has been duly certified qualified according to the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act, a license to practice? Do the sponsors appreciate the fact that their proposition bristles with grave implications for National development, particularly as it concerns specialist training in Nigeria and the delivery of quality healthcare services? What happens to the doctor’s internship period and NYSC service year? What happens to specialist training in Nigeria? Are they going to be repealed or put in abeyance? “

Enabulele said even though it is a truism that doctors are the leaders of the health team, he found the proposition selective and discriminatory.

“Available statistics clearly show that all types of professionals and workers in all sectors of Nigeria, aside from the health sector, are voting with their feet outside the shores of Nigeria. Indeed, aside from the younger ones, the senior ones are increasingly been carried by the brain drain waves.

“I equally find the proposition a gross affront on the fundamental rights and freedoms of medical and dental practitioners in Nigeria, as expressed in the relevant provisions of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended). Even the ILO conventions are very clear on this, as it concerns the international migration of labour.

“While I am aware that there may be a public hearing on the Bill to allow for public consultations with stakeholders, it would have made a whole lot of sense if the sponsors had taken the pains to consult with stakeholders in the medical profession to derive an informed view on the real factors responsible for the crisis of brain drain in Nigeria.

“I would therefore like to urge the sponsors of the Bill to reconsider their position and withdraw the Bill, as the cure it offers will undoubtedly be worse than the ailment it seeks to cure.

“I sincerely urge them to dwell more on how to more realistically address the push factors and build a resilient health system with a resilient health workforce,” he stated.

Recall that the House of Representatives had passed for second reading, a Medical and Dental Practitioners Act (Amendment) Bill, 2022, that seeks to make it compulsory for graduates in medical and dental fields to render services within Nigeria for five years before being granted full license.

Speaking on the Global forum, Enabulele commended the Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus-led World Health Organisation (WHO) for successfully organising the 5th Global Forum on Human Resources for Health.

Stating that it was well-attended by Member States of the WHO, he regretted that Nigeria was not represented.

“I sadly observed that Nigeria was not represented as a Country. There were many sessions where issues confronting the health workforce were deliberated upon, including the issue of brain drain which I have been highlighting at all international fora, including during my tenure as President of the Commonwealth Medical Association.”

He said the 5th Global Forum came up with very useful resolutions on how to resolve the challenges confronting the health workforce.

“As you are aware, the health workforce is vital to the attainment of Universal Health Coverage, and if the resolutions reached at the forum are given concrete expression, I am sanguine that global health and the well-being of citizens and the health workforce will be more assured in the years ahead,” he added.

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Health

LASG FLags Off Polio Outbreak Response Campaign

Published

5 months ago

January 20, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Government, through the Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, has launched the 2025 Polio Outbreak Response Campaign, reaffirming its commitment to eradicating polio and safeguarding the health of its children.

The ceremony, held at the Simpson Primary Healthcare Centre, was led by the First Lady of Lagos State, Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, represented by Mrs. Widad Jumoke Mustafa, a member of the Committee of Wives of Lagos State Officials (COWLSO).

In her address, the First Lady emphasised the state government’s proactive measures to keep Lagos polio-free, highlighting the critical importance of the campaign in preventing the debilitating effects of poliomyelitis, which can result in paralysis or death.

The First Lady also called on parents, community leaders, and stakeholders to support the campaign by ensuring eligible children are vaccinated.

Targeting children aged 0-59 months, vaccination teams will administer the Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) to prevent virus transmission.

Dr. Kemi Ogunyemi, the Special Adviser on Health, expressed gratitude to Lagosians for their continued cooperation in the fight against polio. While appreciating all healthcare workers and partners for their services, Mrs. Ogunyemi encouraged parents to present their children and wards for the exercise.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Lagos Mainland Local Government, Mrs. Omolola Rashidat Essien opined that Immunization is key in ensuring that children are kept safe from polio and other vaccine preventable diseases.

Dr. Abimbola Bowale, the Supervising Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Primary Health Care Board, who also spoke at the event, underscored the life-saving importance of immunization.

“All children aged 0-59 months need multiple doses of the polio vaccine to ensure full protection. Any child missed represents a potential risk for the poliovirus to spread. The vaccine is safe, effective, and crucial in keeping our communities polio-free,” he stated.

Dr. Bowale also outlined several strategies to ensure the success of the campaign, including fixed post teams stationed at primary healthcare centres and public health facilities, house-to-house visits, and a transit strategy to reach special locations such as places of worship, schools, motor parks, and other public venues.

The event concluded with Dr. (Mrs.) Claudiana Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu officially launched the campaign, marking a renewed effort to maintain Lagos State’s polio-free status.

Headline

Lagos Cholera Cases Rise To 421

Published

1 year ago

June 22, 2024

Editor

The Lagos state suspected cholera cases have risen to 421.

The Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi disclosed this on his Instagram handle @profakinabayomi on Saturday.

“As of June 20, 2024, an additional four suspected cholera cases have been reported, as illustrated in the accompanying graph,” he wrote.

He noted that the Emergency Operations Centre in collaboration with all relevant partners is actively engaged in contact tracing, community-based surveillance, awareness campaigns, sample testing, and ensuring that confirmed cholera cases receive appropriate medical treatment.

On Friday, the commissioner confirmed 35 cases out of the 417 suspected cases and 24 deaths across 20 Local Government Areas in the state.

The cases were reported from Agege, Badagry, Ikeja, Mushin, Ajeromi-Ifelofun, Epe, Ikorodu, Ojo, Alimosho, and Eti-Osa.

Others were Kosofe, Oshodi-Isolo, Amuwo-Odofin, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos Island, Shomolu, Apapa, Ifako-Ijaiye, Lagos mainland, and Surulere.

Cholera is a food and water-borne disease caused by ingesting the bacteria— Vibrio cholerae — in contaminated water and food. Cholera can cause severe acute watery diarrhoea, and the severe forms of the disease can kill within hours if left untreated.

In Nigeria, cholera is an endemic and seasonal disease, occurring annually mostly during the rainy season and more frequently in areas with poor sanitation.

The World Health Organisation on Thursday announced a spike in cholera in several regions of the world, with almost 195,000 cases and over 1,900 deaths reported in 24 countries since the start of 2024.

WHO said the Eastern Mediterranean Region reported the highest number of cases, followed by the African Region, the Region of the Americas, the Southeast Asia Region, and the European Region.

The global health body, however, noted that there are no reported cases in the Western Region, according to its bulletin released on Wednesday.

It said it exhausted its global stockpile of Oral Cholera Vaccines by March but was able to exceed “the emergency target of five million doses in early June for the first time in 2024.”

Health

AUTISM: What You Need To Know

Published

1 year ago

April 6, 2024

Editor

By Silver Yeibake

Autism, commonly known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects communication, social interaction, and behavior. Autism is referred to as a spectrum condition since it can manifest in a variety of symptoms and abilities. While the actual cause of autism is unknown, evidence suggests that genetic and environmental factors interact to influence its development.

The risk factors include a sibling with autism, advanced age of parents, exposure to certain air pollutants and pesticides before birth, extreme prematurity, mothers with diabetes, immune system disorders or obesity, any difficulty with delivery leading to deprivation of oxygen to the baby’s brain, fever during pregnancy, lack of certain vitamins minerals during pregnancy, and certain genetic conditions, such as Down, fragile X, and Rett syndromes.

“Risk factors can not on their own cause a disease. However, they can increase the likelihood of that disease in a person.”

It is important to know that contrary to trending claims online, there is no scientific or medical evidence that vaccines or consumption of sugar are risk factors for autism.

Autism is defined by difficulties in social interaction and communication. Individuals with autism may struggle to grasp social cues, maintain eye contact, and engage in typical back-and-forth conversations. Some people may also engage in meaningless, repetitive actions, such as hand-flapping or rocking, and have strong interests in specific areas.

It is essential to remember that autism is a lifelong diagnosis, but with early intervention and adequate care, people with autism can live fulfilling lives.
Autism treatment frequently includes behavioral therapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and social skills training. Each individual with autism is unique, thus interventions should be tailored to meet their personal needs and strengths.

In spite of the difficulties that autism can cause, many people with autism possess unique talents and abilities. Some people may succeed in fields such as music, art, mathematics, or programming, thus it is important for society to acknowledge and honor the qualities and achievements of people with autism.

In summary, autism is a complicated and diverse disorder that affects individuals in various ways. By raising autism knowledge, understanding, and acceptance, we can build a more inclusive society in which people with autism can thrive and attain their full potential.

Dr. Yeibake, Weriwoyingipre Silver.
Senior Registrar,
Faculty Of Pediatrics,
WACP