The Nation Newspaper

Category: Sunday magazine

  • ‘We don’t have special hospitals for the heart’

    ‘We don’t have special hospitals for the heart’

    Dr. Femi Thomas, a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon and Head of Department of Surgery at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and former Ekiti State Commissioner of Health, in this interview with Joe Agbro Jr., says government ought to do more for cardiac patients and advocates for cardiac centres nationwide

    FROM your practice, would you say more Nigerians are suffering from heart failure?

    Well, heart failure occurs when a disease of the heart persists and it is not treated. The problem is a lot of things that we do in the country are predisposing people to heart failure. For example, you will see a situation where people consume a lot of alcohol, they come up with alcoholic heart diseases and they end up with heart failure. For children, you see a situation where people have inborn (congenital) heart diseases that ordinarily should be corrected. If they are not corrected, they also end up with heart failure. So, heart failure is like end-point of these problems.

    Among the heart diseases, which is most prevalent in the country?

    I think the commonest here is hypertension. I remember we carried out a study when I was commissioner for health in Ekiti State a few years ago and we got to know that up to 16% of people above 40 years old are hypertensive. Many of them come down with what we call coronary heart disease.

    How would sum the challenges of the practice of cardiology?

    We are not supposed to be where we are. You see, these things are simple. Luckily, I have been commissioner for health before, so I know that what is on ground is enough to meet our needs. As turbulent as our stay was in Ekiti then when I was under Engr. Segun Oni, we were still able to start a teaching hospital; we were still able to start a college of medicine. We were able to rehabilitate 185 primary health care centres. We were able to rehabilitate five general hospitals. As at that time, we had the best eye centre in the southwest. All within three years. There are four elements of service when it comes to healthcare delivery. You talk of infrastructure, equipment and materials, right personnel that should be well motivated. Then, the final thing which is the most important thing that won’t even cost the government so much is the one they are neglecting healthcare financing that is insurance. Already government has started, but as at today, coverage is just limited to about four to five percent of the population whereas with adequate policy on ground, the whole country can be covered. Ghana, I understand, covers 60 percent. Can you imagine? There are many ways of boosting these things without costing government additional money. Our tax system can be done in such a way that just as you are paying your tax, your health insurance goes with it. Your tax clearance card should be able to take you into any hospital in the country. The same way that a governor enters the hospital should be the same way that a cleaner will enter the hospital. And then you have the same opportunity to have the same type of care.

    Do you know that we sent a bill to the National Assembly to establish eight cardiac centres in the country? This bill has been on now for several months now. As I am talking with you, the bill has not reached second stage. It has not even passed first stage.

    When you say ‘we sent a bill’ what do you mean?

    I initiated it (the bill) with some other people. If I have bags of money to move around and mobilise people, maybe it is possible the bill would have (been) passed. But, I can’t do all that. I don’t have the capacity. See what is happening. We have orthopaedic hospitals all around. You can see National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Enugu, and Dala. We have psychiatric hospitals, Aro and all. We have national eye care hospital; we have national ear care hospital which has centres all over the country. But, still, we don’t have anything for the heart. The first heart operation was done in UCH, Ibadan as far back as 1974. And it is not being sustained. Enugu has been doing heart surgery since 1974. As at today, the best cardiac centre in West Africa is still in Ghana. And that is where they started in 1992. So, why is that we cannot have our own? Government can start all these things and then privatise later. Look, in this hospital for example, we’ve sent people for training. I was in India for six months in 2011 and 2012. I went with nurses for theatre, nurses for intensive care unit (ICU). I went with anaesthetist. We all did our training, now, we’re back. Since then, nothing to work with. We needed just about 100 million naira to buy the basic things to even start, we cannot. Now, we want to collaborate with an hospital in Chennai. We signed an MOU with them so that we can start open heart surgery in this place now. So, it’s like going cap in hand, isn’t it?

    It’s in the constitution that government has a responsibility to guarantee our health. At this stage, we should also be talking about integrated health. How do you fight kwashiorkor if there is no food? It is not a matter for drugs. How do fight diarrhoea if there is no water? It is a matter of treating the person and the person goes back home. So, agriculture, water resources, education have roles to play in this matter.

    How expensive is the treatment of heart diseases?

    Treatment is expensive and also technically tasking. You need equipment for various diagnostics purposes. You need equipment for therapeutic purposes. And these equipments are not by any means cheap… In the past, people were going abroad for pacemaker insertions. We’ve been doing that since 1999. Now if you have your money, we can do it. But, how easy is it for people to afford this. Our health insurance does not cover it. Anywhere in the world, the treatment of heart disease is expensive. The way people get these things done is through social solidarity, health insurance.

  • Back to the boyfriend jacket

    Back to the boyfriend jacket

    HAVING a great-fitting pair of boyfriend jackets in your wardrobe can really help you create some great outfits.

    That is why boyfriend jackets apart from blazers are the second pick for a wardrobe-must. These are items you have that are not especially trendy and can be paired with lots of great stuff to create your own unique look.

    Boyfriend jacket is a great basis for a stylish outfit, especially a darker pair, you can dress them up or down.

    From statement jewellery in between, there are lots of essential party accessories to make sure you dazzle in boyfriend assemble. The heels work well with the boyfriend jacket and the accessories add that much- needed glamour which will work perfectly with the top. Looking for something a little different than the usual boyfriend blazer? I think this might be what you are looking for! The cut of the little dress makes it just a little more feminine and dressy.

  • Get the HIP HOP look

    Get the HIP HOP look

    TO walk the walk, you have to look the part, so as the culture grew a hip hop clothing style was a natural progression. Today, people take their fashion inspiration from many sources then flip it and whilst some feel a need to pigeon-hole things, we don’t, we are happy to sit on the fence and say, yeah we like it, that’s why we wear the clothes we do. Many of the UK clothing brands we deal with feel the same, and although they may have been inspired by hip hop or have a background in that area, they develop their own clothing designs and` style.

    In the late seventies, a new and distinctive sound arose from the streets of New York. The sound was hip-hop, and nearly twenty years later, it has transcended the street parties and music clubs of New York to become a worldwide cultural force.

    Simply put, hip-hop music consists of a DJ mixing rhythmic passages of albums on a turntable while a rapper raps over the beats. But hip-hop is a culture unto itself, equipped with its own language, lyrical style, visual arts (graffiti), dance moves and look.

    ALTHOUGH hip-hop is the musical outgrowth of urban African-American culture, its popularity is not bound by geography or culture.

    Furthermore, more and more suburban teens, taking their cue from their urban counterparts, have adopted the style and the trends of hip-hop’s artists and its adherents. Baggy pants, over-sized athletic jerseys, expensive sneakers – long a fashion standard of the hip-hop community – have become the unofficial uniform of suburban fans Once an underground street culture, hip hop clothing has now acquired a prominent place in the mainstream fashion world. If you want to make a style statement, then you have to include hip hop clothing in your wardrobe. There is an assortment of clothes to choose from to make you stand out. This clothing includes a collection of satin dresses and blouses with cap sleeves, halter dresses, tube dresses and blouses with optical prints. Hoodies and baggy jeans are in style for the men and come in a broad assortment of colours and styles. The appeal of hip hop clothing is attributed to the high quality and vibrant colors that can make any fashion savvy man or woman look good. Accessories that go with these clothes include large ornamental belt buckles, fitted caps, and skull and skeleton decorations. T-shirts are now of shorter length so as to expose decorated belts, belt-buckles and biker chains. Therefore, a lot of hip-hoppers are choosing to forgo the “baggy” style of dressing, although that still remains relevant. They choose to experiment with colourful, fitted, and hipster-inspired clothing. Therefore, though it is still evolving, it is evident that hip-hop fashion will continue to be a major force in designer clothing.

  • Funke Kuti’s firm snares UK singer

    Funke Kuti’s firm snares UK singer

    FUNKE Kuti, the estranged wife of the Afrobeat king, Femi Kuti, has continued to soar high with her event and brand management outfit, F.K., as she added another London-based artiste to her crew. The new artiste, Jennifer Akporoh aka Cocoa, joins the famous rapper, Sola Idowu aka Weird M.C and fast-rising lyricist, Afolabi Ogunleye aka Engager on the label.

    Funke, we gathered, is putting finishes touches to launch Cocoa in the Nigerian entertainment industry.

  • For Aregbesola, Mo Abudu, honour beckons

    For Aregbesola, Mo Abudu, honour beckons

    COME November 29, in recognition of their achievements the duo of Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola and the CEO of Ebony LifeTV, Mo Abudu, will be honoured at the second edition of Goal Attainment Made Easy (GAME2013).

    Aregbesola is being honoured for his outstanding contributions to education in Osun State while Mo Abudu is being honoured for her giant strides in entertainment and empowering African youths.

    GAME has been described as Africa’s number one conference on workforce productivity. Notable personalities expected include Professor Pat Utomi, Prince Julius Adelusi Adeluyi and Jimi Awosika. Sir Ademola Aladekomo and Mrs. Amina Oyagbola are on the faculty for this conference with Dr. Christopher Kolade as Chief Host.

  • Dana’s Usidamen moves on

    Dana’s Usidamen moves on

    YOUNG and dynamic Corporate Communications Head at Dana Group, Tony Usidamen, is on the move. For over five years, his smiling face and alluring voice have been synonymous with the Dana, and his expertise as a communications practitioner is evidenced by the remarkable growth and success of key brands, KIA and Dana Air, under his care.

    Usidamen, we gathered, is moving on to new challenges, though we cannot ascertain his next port of call. He began his marketing communications career in 2006 as a consultant with Sesema PR Limited, an integrated marketing communications company, where he worked on major brands like Ecobank Plc, Afrinvest West Africa, Total Nigeria, Ericsson Nigeria, SAS Nigeria (Business analytics software and service provider), Resourcery (IT solutions company) and AMSCO (SME Specialists).

    Since then, Usidamen has been gaining increasing recognition as one of Africa’s most promising brand communications specialists. In 2011, he was a nominee for Young Professional of the Year (Corporate) at The Future Awards Nigeria and, in the same year, he was named Africa’s Young Brand Manager of the Year at the African Brand Leadership Awards.

  • Shina Peller shows off affluence

    Shina Peller shows off affluence

    SHINA Abiola-Peller, the Aquila Oil and Gas boss and one of the sons of the late magician, Professor Peller, has just taken the delivery of a jaw-dropping 2014 SL 550 Mercedes Benz car, which is regarded as one of world’s safest convertibles. Sources said the wonder on wheel is worth over N30m. Peller is also said to be constructing a new night club in Victoria Island, Lagos after pulling out his interest in Abiola Adegoke- led Nu grotto. There are speculations that the club will be ready for business in December.

  • ‘Club Stephanies’ causes stir

    ‘Club Stephanies’ causes stir

    BARRING any last minute glitch, the city of Lagos will witness the arrival unto the scene ‘Club Stephanie’ comes December 2013. Stephanie Geddes, the industrious lady behind established fun place, Stephanies Bar has kick-started arrangements to ensure that this latest addition to her business concerns sees the light of day. Sources confirmed the enterprising lady has chosen the very first week of December, 2013 to perfect the place for opening in her aspiration to turn the place to a quintessential fun spot for fun seekers starting from the festive season. This latest idea from the stable of Geddes will have its physical presence on Calcutta Street in bubbly area of Apapa..

  • UNFPA report: Why girls become mothers

    UNFPA report: Why girls become mothers

    •Teenage pregnancy in developing countries hits 20,000 daily

    THIS year’s State of World Population released by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has identified poverty, limited or no access to sexual and reproductive health and lack of education, among others, as the major reasons young girls become pregnant.

    According to the report, no fewer than 20,000 girls below age 18 give birth daily in developing countries. Nine in 10 of these births occur within marriage or a union, it added.

    It said girls who are 15 years and below account for two million of the yearly total of 7.3 million new adolescent mothers.

    The report, entitled Motherhood in Childhood: Facing the challenge of adolescent pregnancy, revealed that motherhood in childhood is a huge global problem, especially in developing countries.

    “Of these 7.3 million births, 2 million are to girls 14 or younger, who suffer the gravest long-term health and social consequences from pregnancy, including high rates of maternal death and obstetric fistula.

    It said the number of births to girls under 15 could rise to three million a year in 2030, if current trends continue.

    UNFPA said adolescent pregnancy has serious impacts on girls’ education, health and long-term employment opportunities.

    The report said impoverished, poorly educated and rural girls are more likely to become pregnant than their wealthier, more urban, and more educated counterparts.

    Girls from ethnic minorities or marginalised groups, and those who have limited or no access to sexual and reproductive health are also at greater risk.

    Girls 14 and younger are at double the risk of maternal death and obstetric fistula.

    “Motherhood in childhood” offers a new perspective on adolescent pregnancy, looking not only at the girls’ behaviour as a cause of early pregnancy, but also at the actions of their families, communities and governments.

    UNFPA Executive Director, Prof Babatunde Osotimehin, said: “Too often, society blames only the girl for getting pregnant but the reality is that adolescent pregnancy is most often not the result of a deliberate choice, rather the absence of choices, and of circumstances beyond a girl’s control. It is a consequence of little or no access to school, employment, quality information and health care.”

    He said early pregnancy takes its toll on a girl’s health, education and rights, adding that it also prevents her from realising her potential and adversely impacts the baby.

    He said children having children severely impacts communities and nations’ economies.

    Chairman, Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics of Nigeria (SOGON), Lagos Sector, Prof Oluwarotimi Akinola, said teenage pregnancy is a challenge. It is a serious adolescent and reproductive health right issue, he added.

    He said the fertility rate of the country is 5.7, which is quite high, may be the reason why some teenagers get pregnant.

    Akinola recommended advocacy as an important tool to achieving a reduction in underage pregnancy, stressing that it is part of family planning issues.

    A don at the Department of Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Prof Adetokunbo Fabamwo, said political will is necessary to reduce teenage pregnancy.

  • Style, fashion and fun at Glam Award

    Style, fashion and fun at Glam Award

    THE much-anticipated 2nd Glam and Essence Style Award and Runway show organised by Glam and Essence Magazine owned by Susan Eyo-Honesty will not be forgotten in a hurry. The award was to appreciate the best in fashion and beauty industries in Nigeria. Among the awardees were Dame Abimbola Fashola who went home with Most Supportive Personality for Fashion and Beauty Industry, Mrs. Funsho Amosun as First Lady of Style, Mrs Maureen Onigbanjo who clinched the Life time Achivement for Fashion and Sen. Florence Ita-Giwa who won Matriach of Style. Olusegun Rapheal captured the event.