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Tag: disasters

  • Experts seek implementation of national plan to reduce disasters

    Experts seek implementation of national plan to reduce disasters

    The National Emergency Management Agency, Nigerians Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), and other stakeholders have called for the implementation of national strategies to reduce risks associated with disasters.

    The Director General of NEMA, Zubaida Umar said the strategy was imperative given emerging hazards and the need to reduce risks occasioned by flooding, landslides, building collapse, conflicts, kidnapping, banditry, and others.

    At a workshop in Abuja on Monday on ‘National Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Strategy and Action Plan 2023-2030’, Umar said a national plan was required to address disasters.

    On why the plan was important, she said: “The need for the development of plan arises from the findings of the assessment conducted by Overseas Development Institute on behalf of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).

    “The assessment was conducted to ascertain the status of DRR for evaluation of the implementation of Sendai Framework for DRR 2015-2030 in seven selected countries of the Sahel region. The countries include Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal.

    “A review of NEMA existing plans and frameworks documents has indicated the urgent need to produce a more comprehensive action plan for disaster risk management in Nigeria in consideration of new and emerging hazards in the country.

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    “Such a plan is to align with the Sendai Framework and the African Program of Action (PoA) to increase disaster resilience and drive sustainable development. It is on record that the current escalation of disaster events in the form of conflicts, banditry, and annual floods coupled with extreme weather events have triggered the compelling desire to develop the DRR Strategy and Action Plan for Nigeria”.

    She added that the Sahel region is regarded as one of the poorest regions in Sub-Saharan Africa, characterized by a fragile economy, environmental degradation, extreme weather conditions, poverty, and insecurity driven by terrorism and political uprising.

    Umar said: “Sahel region is one of the world’s most vulnerable regions to disaster risks and climate change, which are transboundary. This initiative which is to align with the Sendai Framework for DRR and African Union Plan of Action to further deepen disaster risk management in Nigeria, is indeed pertinent and commendable.

    Umar, while stating that the management of disaster risks is anchored on preparedness, prevention, mitigation, risk reduction, and adaptation, noted that it cannot be realized in Nigeria without the full deployment of a strategic action plan that assigns roles and responsibilities to implement MDAs and other relevant stakeholders.”

    The representative of NiMet, Director of Weather Forecasting Services, Prof. Vincent Weli, said man-made or natural disasters could strike at any time.

    He, however, noted that early warning is the first line of defence to tackle disasters when they occur.

    He said: “Climate change is real and man has impacted on it. Early warning is only effective if it reaches those at risk. Hazards like floods, landslides, droughts, and conflict are what many communities in Nigeria go through, and there is a need to prioritise timely and accurate warnings.

    Prof. Weli, who also called for the implementation of a national strategy to reduce risks caused by disasters, explained that the national strategy will unravel areas at risk and highlight actions to be taken by stakeholders to ensure the country does not record casualties, property loss, and others.

    The Director General of Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), Umar Mohammed, who was represented by the Director of the Engineering Hydrology Department, Mrs Fashe Adam, said the strategy would serve as a guide for all stakeholders.

    He said climate change was responsible for the unpredicted weather-related disasters recorded in recent times.

    He said NIHSA forecasted that some areas would be flooded this year but areas not covered by the flood outlook have experienced flooding due to climate change.

    “We have witnessed what was not forecasted in the flood outlook for this year, most of the areas we did not forecast are flooded due to flash floods and climate change. Also, we did not experience the early onset of rainfall, but when the rains started, the rains that were meant to fall for four months fell within a week. The soil and rivers are overwhelmed. So, our problem is not early warning; it is the preparation that is lacking, and that is why we believe that the DRR strategy will help sensitize those concerned because we truly cannot stop flooding and other disasters because they are natural phenomena, but we can build people’s resilience.”

  • ‘$120b lost to natural disasters in H1’

    ‘$120b lost to natural disasters in H1’

    Swiss Re has estimated the economic cost of natural disasters that occurred in the first half of the year at $120 billion.

    This was made known in a report by Atlas Magazine.

    According the report, almost half of this amount, or $50 billion, is covered by the insurance market.

    It read: “The earthquake of February 6, 2023, which severely struck Turkey and Syria, is considered to be the costliest natural catastrophe for the world’s economy. Global losses are estimated at $34 billion, $5.3 billion of which are insured.

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    “Severe thunderstorms, heavy rainfall, tornadoes and hailstorms in the United States are regarded as the most costly claims for the sector, with insured losses amounting to $35 billion. These are the highest insured losses ever recorded over a six-month period.

    “According to Swiss Re, man-made disasters have generated economic and insured losses worth $5 billion and $4 billion.’’

  • Recurring flood disasters

    Declaration by the federal government of flooding in four states as national disasters has again elevated to the fore the perennial problem of flood control and management on these shores.

    The Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency NEMA, Mustapha Maihaja while declaring Kogi, Niger, Delta and Anambra states as national disasters at the behest of the government, also placed eight other states on the agency’s watch list. The measures followed warnings by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency that rivers Benue and Niger had almost reached levels that resulted in flooding in 2012.

    In the 2012 incident according to NEMA sources, flooding affected about 30 states with more than 300 deaths resulting in the displacement of more than two million people. NEMA said it has also inaugurated five emergency operation centres to facilitate prompt search and rescue services as well as humanitarian support in states worst hit by the scourge.

    The agency has also advised seven flood prone communities in the Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State to quit their homes to avert impending calamity. Head of the Imo/Anambra operations office of NEMA, Evans Ugoh said the order became necessary because the Orashi River and Oguta Lake had risen above their normal levels and that farmlands in the seven communities had been submerged by the over-flowing river.

    Barely two months back, a heavy down pour in Katsina State killed about 50 people destroying 500 houses with thousands of others displaced. These represent a hint of the more complex dimension of the ravages of flood throughout the length and breadth of the country. Flooding has become so endemic that no responsible government can afford to fold its arms while the scourge continues to wrought sorrow and awe on the very vulnerable segments of the population.

    It is thus noteworthy that NEMA took the very proactive steps of declaring flood menace in the worst affected states as national disasters. By placing eight others on its watch list and creating five emergency services operation centres for search and rescue, the agency has demonstrated its commitment to mitigate losses in both human and material capital that are often associated with flood menace in this country.

    And to give further fillip to ameliorating the hardship arising from such disasters, the federal government also released N3billion for emergency responses and in aid of victims. That should be something to cheer especially if the funds really get into the hands of those affected by the rampaging flood.

    Unfortunately, we live in a clime where the privileged few prey on any and every opportunity to provide succour to the less unfortunate ones in our society. Chances are therefore very high that if adequate measures are not taken, much of the funds may end up diverted to uses other than that for which they were released. When this happens, the overall objective for government’s intervention would not only be compromised but sabotaged.

    Our experiences with the diversion of relief materials and sabotaging of contracts designed to mitigate the sufferings of Internally Displaced Persons in the northeast ravaged by the Boko Haram insurgency should draw the point most poignantly closer. It is therefore not sufficient to release funds for the alleviation of the plights of victims of flood disasters. Concrete and foolproof measures must be put in place to stave off the propensity of abuse by rogue officials that often pander to the lure of their pockets. That way, the objective of the funds will neither be abused nor compromised.

    More fundamentally, these measures are essentially ad hoc responses with limited scope in providing lasting therapies to the menace of flooding. Though the major causes of flooding vary, much of the deadly flooding we have witnessed in this clime, arise when the rivers overflow their banks as we have in instant cases. The current flooding challenges are consequent upon our major rivers rising well above their normal levels and spilling over to neighbouring communities and farmlands.

    That is the situation with the four worst hit states and the eight others that are on NEMA watch list. The same is no less correct of the seven communities that have been asked to quit their homes in Imo State. Given the above, it is obvious that doling out huge sums of money for emergency responses and in aid of victims is at best, ad hoc in nature and incapable of providing lasting and permanent solutions to the perennial national flooding challenges.

    The measures are curative rather than preventive and therefore of limited value in permanently addressing the recurring challenges of flooding together with the attendant losses both in human and material capital. We cannot just sit by and wait for these disasters to happen only to dole out humongous sums of money for emergency responses and in aid of victims.

    The way to go is to earmark and deploy such monies to the construction of flood preventing structures. In this regard, we must embrace such international practices as the construction of Dikes and levees. These are flood control structures to fight river flooding and water surges. They restrain rivers during floods by providing artificial water channels that prevent runoffs from bursting floodplains.

    Since the current flooding challenges stem largely from river overflow, it is only rational that a more enduring way of averting a repeat of extant challenges, is to prevent them from happening. Failure in this regard will live us with the recurring decimal of constantly overwhelmed by the rampaging scourge. This will post a profile of a government incapable of providing lasting solutions to nagging national challenges.

    Aside these measures that are in the main, designed to check the overflow of our rivers, other control devices as reforestation, construction of dams and reservoirs have also proved very helpful in fighting the scourge of flooding. It is needless to emphasize the indispensability of effective planning in this regard.

    There is also the imperative of educating the citizenry and inculcating in them the culture of maintaining their environment by constantly clearing drainages and gutters especially before the rains set in. For, one major source of flooding especially in urban centres is the indiscriminate dumping of refuse in gutters, drainage channels and canals. Such ruinous attitudes must be drastically curtailed if we must find a handle to the perennial flooding in some of our urban centres.

    Here, the good example shown recently by officers and soldiers of the 14 Field Engineer Regiment, Onitsha in defying a heavy downpour to clear a 10-year old blocked erosion drainage system at Park Lane GRA cues in very aptly. Lt. Col. Mohammed Momoh who led the operation with over 40 NYSC members, captured the scene very succinctly when he said “it was a disaster management exercise to curb flood in Onitsha and its environs”.

    That is the way to go and we commend the military for that visionary intervention to stem the tide of flood in and around Onitsha. We commend this to other military formations, security agencies and corporate bodies as it represents a rare display of corporate responsibility.

  • Engineers to sensitise on safety, prevent disasters

    Engineers to sensitise on safety, prevent disasters

    The Nigerian Institution of Safety Engineers (NISE) has embarked on efforts aimed at preventing disasters and improving safety awareness on fire, flooding and building collapse.

    According to its Chairman, Abiodun Oyedepo, the move became necessary after safety concerns were raised in several quarters on fire, flooding and building collapse.

    As part of NISE’s efforts towards sensitising the public on preventive measures, Oyedepo said NISE leadership had been paying visiting various organisations and agencies, such as Chevron, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) (Retail), Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Minister of Labour and Productivity, among others.

    At the places visited, Oyedepo said their responses were warm, with people expressing appreciation that Nigerian engineers had risen from their slumber.

    To this end, the NISE has slated its first conference, with the theme: “Assuring public safety in Nigeria: The roles of engineers”.

    The conference will hold from  November 7 to 10, at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Lagos.

    “We are building a foundation for others to build on and are setting up chapters in more states of the federation, with the first one recently being inaugurated in Awka, Anambra State,” Oyedepo said.

    The Chairman of the NISE Conference Planning Committee, Seun Faluyi, said institution would work with regulatory agencies on capacity development programmes to address building collapse. He lamented that regulatory bodies were not sufficiently staffed.

    “Engineers know what to do if you want to prevent flooding even where there is plenty of rainfall. Where you design buildings and factor in safety during the construction, collapses can be prevented,” Faluyi said, adding that the assurance of safety is higher when qualified engineers are actively involved.

    The Conference Planning Committee Secretary, Kayode Fowode, said the NISE was sensitising the public on the need for housing construction supervisors in every state to take proper measures during construction to prevent building collapse. He said there would also be training courses for registered builders to identify problems during construction and address them promptly.

    A member of the committee, Oluwafemi Ogunseitan, asserted that for the entire value chain, from design to construction on site, NISE would support other regulatory bodies, adding that it would ensure robust safety checks through capacity building and necessary standards. He said the institution was not formed to compete with other safety bodies and agencies but to collaborate with all, to improve safety, as an engineering body.

    The NISE, a division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), was inaugurated in January, last year. NISE is made up of engineers who are registered with the NSE and active in safety practice. Membership of NISE is open to engineers; persons involved in safety jobs are also welcome as associate members.

  • Averting environmental disasters

    SIR: Being the commercial hub of West Africa, Lagos has obvious environmental concerns. But then, over the years, subsequent governments in the State have endeavoured to make sustainable environmental regeneration a core part of the ultimate goal of transforming the City-State into a Smart city.

    The effects of harmful actions on the environment are unwholesome and we all consciously or unconsciously responsible for it. When we purchase stuffs either in traffic or elsewhere and indiscriminately fling the remnants on the road or other such inappropriate places, what we do is to desecrate the environment. Unfortunately, what we fail to realize is that our seemingly harmless actions have far-reaching consequences as it might take close to 900 years for such remnants to actually decompose.

    Environmental degradation can turn a bustling metropolis into a cluster of slums and a bustling crime zone. People need to realize that individuals who live in overcrowded spaces are more likely to be exposed to scenes of violent schisms that inspire wild reactions like domestic and verbal abuse among others. Though these acts are not really limited to these areas, but they are most likely to occur there due to psychological effects of being deprived of private space.

    The cost of our damaging behaviour against the environment is by no means minimal. For one, it makes government spend unnecessarily while trying to undo the harm done. And really, such fund could have been expended in meeting other crucial societal needs. Also, public health is sometimes seriously hampered as filthy practices tend to lead to outbreak of tragic epidemics which could lead to needless waste of lives.

    The economy also takes a hit with instantaneous effects manifest across all sectors. Tourism, for instance, cannot thrive in any place where the environment is treated irresponsibly. Equally, potential investors will not make such a place a destination of choice. The bottom line is that insensitivity towards environmental issues would do us more harm than good.

    What then can be done to positively alter our attitude towards the environment?

    First, we need to get a proper grasp of the way the environment works and the elements that form that complex whole. It is only when we truly understand what our environment means to us that we could see the danger inherent in its unwholesome treatment. In as much as the bulk of the responsibility seems to hang on the shoulder of all tiers of government with greater need for investment on infrastructural development alongside environmental rehabilitation, nevertheless, without the corresponding attitudinal change from the public such investments would amount to little or nothing.

    Presently, in Lagos, the state government has come up with the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI) to address solid waste management through massive emphasis on sensitization, regular checks and inspection, landscape beautification and rehabilitation and replacement of outdated machinery and infrastructure. With this new policy and many others, the Lagos State government has no doubt invested much into environmental conservation, preservation and development.  It is, therefore, baffling to see some residents denigrate the environment in such abysmal manner.

    The implication of this is that for our environment to sufficiently reflect the enormous government investment on it, both the government and the governed must be mutually involved. Japan did not get to the enviable position of having the cleanest cities in the world by leaving the business of environmental rehabilitation to the government alone. No! It really began when Japanese began to take responsibility over their environment.

    Like Japan, with the needed discipline and conscious determination, we could also turn most of our cities into amazing haven of cleanliness. This could begin with a simple habit of not throwing dirt in unauthorized places; not urinating in public places; not patronizing illicit waste disposal agents, and not turning parks and gardens into cattle ranches or party spots.

    If advanced nations of the world such Australia, United States of America, China and others that pay utmost attention to environmental issues could be threatened with massive environmental hazards as some of them currently experience, it is a wakeup call for us to turn a new leaf by treating our environment fairly.

    We must jointly resolve to save our environment and, indeed, ourselves from the dreadful effects of environmental degradation. We must understand and appreciate that the survival of future generation depends on how well we treat the environment now.  So, for everyone, this is the time to work and walk together in a renewed commitment to preserve our environment.

     

    • Sade Padonu,

    Badagry, Lagos.

  • Experts to govt: engage us in tackling disasters

    Experts to govt: engage us in tackling disasters

    •Lagos NIESV inaugurates exco

    Experts have called on the government to engage their services in tackling challenges confronting the nation. An instance is the flood that has ravaged some states.

    The professionals, who spoke at the investiture of officials of the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV), Lagos State branch in Ikeja, were unanimous that the flooding was not unsurmountable, urging the government to do the needful.

    A professor of Land Economics, Modupe Omirin, said the government should establish the office of the Valuer-General, like it is in Australia and other parts of the world. This, she noted, will serve the purpose of quality delivery, standardisation and improve the work of valuation within the government business.

    Besides, such issues as the recent flooding in the Lekki-Ajah axis, and across the country could be solved with mechanical engineering techniques, which would ensure that drainages are channelled in such a way that water will flow freely, she said.

    “Amsterdam is several measures below sea level. However, they have managed to use engineering expertise to control the flow of water in such a manner that they hardly experience flooding,” she said.

    Omirin, who was the Chairman at the event, therefore, charged the new executives, led by Mr. Olurogba Orimalade, to educate government officials on the need to consult estate surveyor and valuers on issues that are the exclusive preserve of the professional body as it affects valuation. “Valuation of properties is the exclusive preserve of NIESV; it is wrong for any government or anybody to hire a person that is not an Estate Surveyor & Valuers to carry out such duty. But because they (government) don’t have the understanding, they give it out to other professionals because everybody is competing to make money,” Omirin said.

    A past president of NIESV, Mr. Bode Adediji, advised the government to approach flooding from a professional perspective. He regretted that the problem had persisted for too long without any solution and called on the public to “hold the government responsible for the tax you have paid to them”.

    Adediji observed that the flooding in the island would have a dramatic impact on land value distribution.

    “I cannot imagine people now calling for higher value in an area already notorious for perennial flooding and those on the mainland will not be expected to keep the value of their properties cheap. So there will be a paradigm shift,” he explained.

    Vice President, International Real Estate Federation (FIABCI), Nigeria chapter, Mr. Adeniji Adele, urged government to review its master plan because most of the areas designated as residential has been turned to commercial area. He also advised the government to do a follow up check on approvals given for construction to ensure strict adherence and compliance to terms of approval. Drainages, he advised, must be cleared regularly to get rid of all blockades, while the activities of cart pushers and illegal dredgers must be stopped.

    Orimalade, in his welcome address, observed that the group had never witnessed a time like this where almost every aspect of the profession was being challenged by non-professionals.

    He noted that technology was shaping the way professionals do their business. For instance, the era of making use of measuring tape was gradually giving way to laser tapes, among other technological tools, he said.

    “From the days of the professional valuer making use of Parry’s valuation tables to aid his valuation, we now have valuation software, which gives you your values once the relevant data is imputed within seconds,” Orimalade said.

    The new Chairman, who is also the Principal Partner, Rogba Orimalade & Co., acknowledged the efforts of the Lagos State Government for gradually trying to make the state take its place among the most advanced cities in the world by the use of technology to effectively run the state’s operations and thereby increase the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR).

    “Just some days ago, I had the opportunity to grace the opening of the digitalised and upgraded Land Registry at Alausa. From a touch of a button on the computers at the Registry, you can now carry out searches easily for any property title in the state. The whole process now could take you less than five minutes,” he said.

    He reiterated that with the  advancement in the state’s information technology and developmental strides in urban renewal and infrastructure, it was critical for the NIESV Lagos Branch to quickly evolve to a more active stakeholder in the built environment because it is these rapid changes in technology and incessant encroachment by non-professionals in the profession that has given rise to his vision tagged “Contract with NIESV.’

    He said the “contract” which he categorised into five key areas- Branding, Strategic engagement (public and  private sector), Public Enlightenment, Membership expansion and training, will establish the right frame work and structures for a functional and effective branch that would be able to meet the yearnings of members.

  • Caesarean disasters

    Caesarean disasters

    Each birth is as unique as the baby it produces. While many would rather opt for the vaginal childbirth, not all are as lucky. The other option is the Caesarean Section; but many women are taking things too far by going under the doctor’s knife one time too many. YETUNDE OLADEINDE takes a look at the challenges for maternal mortality.

    About two months ago, a 37-year-old mother of four was taken to the ECWA Hospital, Kano, to deliver her fifth baby. It was her fifth Caesarian Section otherwise known as CS, and the doctors battled to save her life. Unfortunately, she died moments after undergoing the operation while the baby survived.

    The cost of a Caesarean Section is also something that is expensive for the average Nigerian family. Due to the poverty level of the family, her husband, Chidi Eze, who hails from Nsukka, Enugu State, lacked the financial muscle to offset the N120, 000 charged by the first hospital. She was rushed to the ECWA Hospital along Airport Road, Kano, where she was eventually admitted.

    But as fate would have it, moments after she was safely delivered of the baby boy, her body chemistry became unstable, degenerating from bad to worse and finally she gave up the ghost.

    The big question therefore has been what could have gone wrong? Could it be that she was endangered because she had the CS five times? Upon investigation, it was discovered that her first child died at birth and the ages of her four children range between eight, six, four and two respectively before the last.

    A Kano-based medical practitioner, Dr Frank Akabugu, who spoke to The Nation right after the incident, said the most important thing is to seek help from qualified professionals when it comes to any operation. “Any mother can undergo more than five caesarian sections and remain alive, as long as a qualified doctor carried out the Caesarean Section,” he said. He, however, advised upcoming couples to embrace birth control measures, rather than embark on incessant CS.

    Medical personnel don’t just decide to carry out CS on any pregnant woman; it is usually to save the life of either the mother or child, or both. On her part, Dr Temitope Akpelishi starts by taking explaining the process and the situations that warrant a CS. “A C-Section or Caesarean Section is the delivery of a baby through a surgical incision in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. In certain circumstances, a Caesarean Section is scheduled in advance. In others, it is done in response to an unforeseen complication.”

    Next, she goes on to talk about some of the indications for CS, which she classified as emergency indications and classical CS indications. “The emergency indications include: Foetal distress/Prolapse cord, Obstructed labour and Obstetrics complications, such as Placenta praevia. On the other hand, the classical Caesarean Section indications include preterm delivery with poorly formed lower uterine segment, Placenta praevia/Abruption placenta, Transverse lie, Severe adhesions in the lower uterine segment and the twin or multiple gestation.”

    Akpelishi added that “the complications can arise from surgery and also anaesthetics used. Main problems are thrombo embolism, infection and haemorrhage, which can be minimised by giving appropriate antibiotics and good surgical practice.”

    Now, you ask Akpelishi how many CS a woman can have. “It has been discovered that each repeat of C-Section is generally more complicated than the last. Studies show that risks increase after a third Caesarean delivery and vaginal deliveries are not recommended after three sections. However, research has not established the exact number of repeat Caesarean Section that can be done.”

    Life, interestingly, is changing in the maternity ward these days and more women go through the caesarean operations to have their babies.

    It is a preferred option for some others due to complications during childbirth, to save the life of the mother and child.

    Even though the rationale for many is safety, there are some Caesarean operations that have brought sorrow and tears to family members of the victim. In Lagos, there was another sad case where the woman also died. Here, Drs Morenike Olaniyi and Abidoye Gbadegesin of Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital were allegedly accused of causing the death of Kemi  Fadehan, a pregnant woman while delivering her of a baby.  What really happened? According to Lanre Fadehan, husband of the late Kemi  Fadehan, Dr Olaniyi reportedly sliced the woman’s intestine in error while performing an operation to bring out the baby.

    Fadehan alleged that the more experienced Dr Gbadegesin, who is a consultant, left his duty to the junior practitioner Olaniyi, who performed the surgery on his late wife. Tears and hisses, but all these cannot bring back the late Kemi, a 38-year-old mother-of-three and double Masters’ degree holder, who was scheduled to travel to the US for her PhD this year.

    Sadly, the doctor allegedly ruptured the patient’s intestine during the surgery to deliver the baby and did not realise her error until about 10 days later. When it was eventually discovered, a corrective surgery was carried out, but by this time the rupture had caused a widespread infection that led to multiple organ failure, over-the-roof temperatures, nervous system breakdown and overwhelming sepsis that eventually caused the death of the woman.

    Like Fadehan, Doris Ekanem tells the story of her younger sister’s experience and how it made her really scared of operations. “The interesting thing is that my sister is also a nurse, in fact a matron. So, we had a lot of confidence because she was working in the hospital. When they did the operation for her, everything went well and we were all happy to see her and the baby.”

    Just when they thought all was well, her sister noticed that pus was coming out of the spot where the operation was done. “We had to take her back and they had to do another operation for her in the same hospital. It was a General Hospital in Port Harcourt and it was then that they found out that some items were forgotten in her stomach during the operation. The pain which was more severe than the first operation and emotional trauma that she went through made me so sad.”

    Mrs Jumoke Babatunde (not real name) was a happy, boisterous, yet easy-going woman. She was married to Segun, the love of her life and a young marketing executive. By African standards, it was a fruitful marriage, as she got pregnant within the first few months into their marriage. So everybody was happy, the husband’s family especially. There was, however, a snag. After a prolonged labour, the doctors decided right in the labour room that she could only be delivered through a CS. Thankfully, it was a success and they had their first child, a boy. Just over two years later, she got pregnant again. Both husband and wife hoped it would be a girl. They also prayed quietly that the delivery would be uneventful and she would deliver the normal way. But probably due to apprehension, Jumoke’s courage and energy failed her at the last moment. Again, she needed the doctor’s knife. Again, it was successful. Or so they thought, until they discovered that the baby boy wasn’t urinating. They took him to different hospitals, but the little boy eventually gave up the ghost.

    It was a sad moment for husband and wife. Jumoke was particularly saddened by the baby’s last moment and the pains she thought he must have gone through due to his inability to urinate. She spoke of how she could not forget easily the baby’s shrieking cry of pain. But time heals; and she soon managed to put the thought of that loss at the back of her mind. Life goes on. Over a year later, she got pregnant again, and this time, scan showed it was a girl. Once beaten, twice shy, she took her ante-natal appointments very seriously and never missed any appointment or medication. As the day of delivery approached, her doctor told her that due to some technical jargon, she would again have to deliver through CS. He, however, assured her that all would be well. As the day approached, Jumoke confessed to her hubby and friends her fear, but she was encouraged. On the D-day, she was wheeled into the theatre, almost reluctantly, but she survived. She recalled her joy at coming back to life and seeing her baby boy by her side. She was full of joy and praises to God for her safe delivery. And she named the boy Aanu-Oluwa (Mercy of God). That was in addition to his Muslim name.

    But the doctor also warned her that this would be her last child. She was not to get pregnant again else things may take a more dangerous turn. She and her husband were advised on contraceptive measures and warned sternly on trying for another pregnancy. They accepted their fate and moved on. The contraceptive measures also seemed to work, until one month when Jumoke noticed that she hadn’t seen her period for almost six weeks. Even though her period had become irregular, her heart nevertheless skipped some beats. She must not get pregnant. This must not be a pregnancy, she chided herself. But they soon confirmed that it was indeed a pregnancy and another baby coming. Jumoke’s world literally collapsed. As told by her husband, they tried all sorts of measures to force out the pregnancy, but it did not happen. By the time the reality dawned on them, the foetus had grown and all they had left was to pray. Needless to say, Jumoke became a shadow of her old self.  Finally, she was operated upon on the day of delivery. The baby, a girl, came out alive, but not so Jumoke. She was wheeled out of the theatre, dead.

    As narrated by her husband, Wasiu, it is one moment that still haunts him. How on earth did they make that mistake? Perhaps it was destiny, he reasoned. That was his only solace as a Muslim, but he truly wished she never got pregnant that one more time. Or at least had survived by some miracle.

    Temidayo is alive and hearty. But that is because she is fighting herself to keep to her doctor’s advice. Married to a husband from Delta State where the people value male children, she is perpetually unhappy that her three children are girls. She has also had to put up with snide remarks from her husband, who occasionally tells her that all she could bear him are ‘just girls.’ For this reason, she earnestly would love to try for another child. Perhaps it would be a boy. But the doctor had warned her. She has a male pelvis and can therefore not bear children the normal way. Her three girls were delivered through CS and by medical standard any more trial would amount to courting danger.

    In her despair, she has also consulted other doctors. But the verdicts remain the same. The best she got was from a doctor at the Military Hospital in Lagos, who told her that the chances are 50-50. If she is so desperate, she should try. And so, she has kept to her fate, taking care of her girls and wishing they all turn out successful.

    Ronke Badru’s case was a scare. When she had her third caesarean operation in 2015, she survived by the whiskers. “That was the toughest pregnancy and my doctor monitored me closely. Two weeks to delivery date, I had stabilised and the scan showed that the baby was okay and I could have a normal delivery. On that fateful morning, I was on my way to work when I noticed the labour pains and I had to do a U-turn to the hospital. My doctor was excited and I was taken into the labour room immediately. I spent about four hours there and I was getting weak and tired. At that point, we opted for an operation and I passed out after the injection. The operation was successful but the first two months was traumatic for me. I lost so much weight and looked like a skeleton. By the third month, I fell ill and the tests revealed that I had typhoid and I was so scared that I was going to lose my life. Luckily, I survived,” she reminisced.

    Ugochi Eboh is another survivor and sadly she said that death was only one metre away when it happened to her.  “It wasn’t something that I prepared for and it happened so suddenly. That was my last baby. I have six children and it was my sixth baby. When I got pregnant for that baby, I was so sad and didn’t know what to do with another baby. It was tough coping with the children in the house.”

    Confused, she began to think of what to do with the pregnancy and consulted a few people around her about the matter. “When the pregnancy was about three months, I went to the hospital and the mission at that point was to flush the baby out. However, the first doctor that I met said it was impossible. I went to two hospitals and they asked me why I wanted to do it. I told them that I already have five children and they were enough. But, somehow, they encouraged me to keep the baby. I was not happy and I continued to think of what to do.”

    An idea came up and at this point Ugochi believed that the baby would not survive the odds. “I started taking some concoctions and by the time the pregnancy was six months, my stomach was really small but it still survived. I had done scan and by the time the pregnancy was seven months, they told me that it looked like it was just two months old. Then when it was nine months, I went to the hospital and they told me that the baby was bridged.”

    To her utmost surprise the baby survived. “That night, as I was sleeping, the water busted and I was taken to Apapa General Hospital where I registered. God really wanted to save me because the doctor who was handling my case was on duty. I got there around 9pm and the doctor came around 11pm. When he took a good look at me and the state that I was in, he told me that I could not have the baby on my own. At this point, blood started gushing out and he quickly called them to wheel me straight into the theatre. The woman who was to give me anaesthesia injection had gone and they started calling her to come back.”

    In the theatre, the battle for survival continued: “It was as if God just wanted to save me. The woman told me to hold my back with a pillow and within a short period the operation was over. I heard my baby crying and it was a girl. The baby was so dark and I couldn’t believe it was my daughter. Then they took her away and I was wheeled into the maternity ward. Twenty minutes later, I began to experience excruciating pain and I started screaming. They kept telling me not to raise my head; the drug had entered my brain. The pain was just too much and I started screaming. So many things happened but God saved me. They kept telling me not to raise my head but it was a general ward and there was noise here and there. I started having terrible headache and they said that there was no drug for the headache. When I lay down, the headache stopped and as I made to get up the headache got up with me. I had never experienced such a thing in my life before and later they said I needed blood. I was so down and they gave me two pints of blood. I thank God that in spite of the challenge, my baby and I survived.”

    The crux of the matter, however, is that even though there are a number of caesarean disasters, it has actually helped to save the lives of so many other women who could not have delivered their babies on their own. Health care personnel across the country have therefore advised mothers-to-be not to see giving birth through CS as a death sentence, and the earlier expectant mothers know this, the better for them.

  • Caesarean disasters

    Caesarean disasters

    Each birth is as unique as the baby it produces. While many would rather opt for the vaginal childbirth, not all are as lucky. The other option is the Caesarean Section; but many women are taking things too far by going under the doctor’s knife one time too many. YETUNDE OLADEINDE takes a look at the challenges for maternal mortality.

    About two months ago, a 37-year-old mother of four was taken to the ECWA Hospital, Kano, to deliver her fifth baby. It was her fifth Caesarian Section otherwise known as CS, and the doctors battled to save her life. Unfortunately, she died moments after undergoing the operation while the baby survived.

    The cost of a Caesarean Section is also something that is expensive for the average Nigerian family. Due to the poverty level of the family, her husband, Chidi Eze, who hails from Nsukka, Enugu State, lacked the financial muscle to offset the N120, 000 charged by the first hospital. She was rushed to the ECWA Hospital along Airport Road, Kano, where she was eventually admitted.

    But as fate would have it, moments after she was safely delivered of the baby boy, her body chemistry became unstable, degenerating from bad to worse and finally she gave up the ghost.

    The big question therefore has been what could have gone wrong? Could it be that she was endangered because she had the CS five times? Upon investigation, it was discovered that her first child died at birth and the ages of her four children range between eight, six, four and two respectively before the last.

    A Kano-based medical practitioner, Dr Frank Akabugu, who spoke to The Nation right after the incident, said the most important thing is to seek help from qualified professionals when it comes to any operation. “Any mother can undergo more than five caesarian sections and remain alive, as long as a qualified doctor carried out the Caesarean Section,” he said. He, however, advised upcoming couples to embrace birth control measures, rather than embark on incessant CS.

    Medical personnel don’t just decide to carry out CS on any pregnant woman; it is usually to save the life of either the mother or child, or both. On her part, Dr Temitope Akpelishi starts by taking explaining the process and the situations that warrant a CS. “A C-Section or Caesarean Section is the delivery of a baby through a surgical incision in the mother’s abdomen and uterus. In certain circumstances, a Caesarean Section is scheduled in advance. In others, it is done in response to an unforeseen complication.”

    Next, she goes on to talk about some of the indications for CS, which she classified as emergency indications and classical CS indications. “The emergency indications include: Foetal distress/Prolapse cord, Obstructed labour and Obstetrics complications, such as Placenta praevia. On the other hand, the classical Caesarean Section indications include preterm delivery with poorly formed lower uterine segment, Placenta praevia/Abruption placenta, Transverse lie, Severe adhesions in the lower uterine segment and the twin or multiple gestation.”

    Akpelishi added that “the complications can arise from surgery and also anaesthetics used. Main problems are thrombo embolism, infection and haemorrhage, which can be minimised by giving appropriate antibiotics and good surgical practice.”

    Now, you ask Akpelishi how many CS a woman can have. “It has been discovered that each repeat of C-Section is generally more complicated than the last. Studies show that risks increase after a third Caesarean delivery and vaginal deliveries are not recommended after three sections. However, research has not established the exact number of repeat Caesarean Section that can be done.”

    Life, interestingly, is changing in the maternity ward these days and more women go through the caesarean operations to have their babies.

    It is a preferred option for some others due to complications during childbirth, to save the life of the mother and child.

    Even though the rationale for many is safety, there are some Caesarean operations that have brought sorrow and tears to family members of the victim. In Lagos, there was another sad case where the woman also died. Here, Drs Morenike Olaniyi and Abidoye Gbadegesin of Ifako-Ijaiye General Hospital were allegedly accused of causing the death of Kemi  Fadehan, a pregnant woman while delivering her of a baby.  What really happened? According to Lanre Fadehan, husband of the late Kemi  Fadehan, Dr Olaniyi reportedly sliced the woman’s intestine in error while performing an operation to bring out the baby.

    Fadehan alleged that the more experienced Dr Gbadegesin, who is a consultant, left his duty to the junior practitioner Olaniyi, who performed the surgery on his late wife. Tears and hisses, but all these cannot bring back the late Kemi, a 38-year-old mother-of-three and double Masters’ degree holder, who was scheduled to travel to the US for her PhD this year.

    Sadly, the doctor allegedly ruptured the patient’s intestine during the surgery to deliver the baby and did not realise her error until about 10 days later. When it was eventually discovered, a corrective surgery was carried out, but by this time the rupture had caused a widespread infection that led to multiple organ failure, over-the-roof temperatures, nervous system breakdown and overwhelming sepsis that eventually caused the death of the woman.

    Like Fadehan, Doris Ekanem tells the story of her younger sister’s experience and how it made her really scared of operations. “The interesting thing is that my sister is also a nurse, in fact a matron. So, we had a lot of confidence because she was working in the hospital. When they did the operation for her, everything went well and we were all happy to see her and the baby.”

    Just when they thought all was well, her sister noticed that pus was coming out of the spot where the operation was done. “We had to take her back and they had to do another operation for her in the same hospital. It was a General Hospital in Port Harcourt and it was then that they found out that some items were forgotten in her stomach during the operation. The pain which was more severe than the first operation and emotional trauma that she went through made me so sad.”

    Mrs Jumoke Babatunde (not real name) was a happy, boisterous, yet easy-going woman. She was married to Segun, the love of her life and a young marketing executive. By African standards, it was a fruitful marriage, as she got pregnant within the first few months into their marriage. So everybody was happy, the husband’s family especially. There was, however, a snag. After a prolonged labour, the doctors decided right in the labour room that she could only be delivered through a CS. Thankfully, it was a success and they had their first child, a boy. Just over two years later, she got pregnant again. Both husband and wife hoped it would be a girl. They also prayed quietly that the delivery would be uneventful and she would deliver the normal way. But probably due to apprehension, Jumoke’s courage and energy failed her at the last moment. Again, she needed the doctor’s knife. Again, it was successful. Or so they thought, until they discovered that the baby boy wasn’t urinating. They took him to different hospitals, but the little boy eventually gave up the ghost.

    It was a sad moment for husband and wife. Jumoke was particularly saddened by the baby’s last moment and the pains she thought he must have gone through due to his inability to urinate. She spoke of how she could not forget easily the baby’s shrieking cry of pain. But time heals; and she soon managed to put the thought of that loss at the back of her mind. Life goes on. Over a year later, she got pregnant again, and this time, scan showed it was a girl. Once beaten, twice shy, she took her ante-natal appointments very seriously and never missed any appointment or medication. As the day of delivery approached, her doctor told her that due to some technical jargon, she would again have to deliver through CS. He, however, assured her that all would be well. As the day approached, Jumoke confessed to her hubby and friends her fear, but she was encouraged. On the D-day, she was wheeled into the theatre, almost reluctantly, but she survived. She recalled her joy at coming back to life and seeing her baby boy by her side. She was full of joy and praises to God for her safe delivery. And she named the boy Aanu-Oluwa (Mercy of God). That was in addition to his Muslim name.

    But the doctor also warned her that this would be her last child. She was not to get pregnant again else things may take a more dangerous turn. She and her husband were advised on contraceptive measures and warned sternly on trying for another pregnancy. They accepted their fate and moved on. The contraceptive measures also seemed to work, until one month when Jumoke noticed that she hadn’t seen her period for almost six weeks. Even though her period had become irregular, her heart nevertheless skipped some beats. She must not get pregnant. This must not be a pregnancy, she chided herself. But they soon confirmed that it was indeed a pregnancy and another baby coming. Jumoke’s world literally collapsed. As told by her husband, they tried all sorts of measures to force out the pregnancy, but it did not happen. By the time the reality dawned on them, the foetus had grown and all they had left was to pray. Needless to say, Jumoke became a shadow of her old self.  Finally, she was operated upon on the day of delivery. The baby, a girl, came out alive, but not so Jumoke. She was wheeled out of the theatre, dead.

    As narrated by her husband, Wasiu, it is one moment that still haunts him. How on earth did they make that mistake? Perhaps it was destiny, he reasoned. That was his only solace as a Muslim, but he truly wished she never got pregnant that one more time. Or at least had survived by some miracle.

    Temidayo is alive and hearty. But that is because she is fighting herself to keep to her doctor’s advice. Married to a husband from Delta State where the people value male children, she is perpetually unhappy that her three children are girls. She has also had to put up with snide remarks from her husband, who occasionally tells her that all she could bear him are ‘just girls.’ For this reason, she earnestly would love to try for another child. Perhaps it would be a boy. But the doctor had warned her. She has a male pelvis and can therefore not bear children the normal way. Her three girls were delivered through CS and by medical standard any more trial would amount to courting danger.

    In her despair, she has also consulted other doctors. But the verdicts remain the same. The best she got was from a doctor at the Military Hospital in Lagos, who told her that the chances are 50-50. If she is so desperate, she should try. And so, she has kept to her fate, taking care of her girls and wishing they all turn out successful.

    Ronke Badru’s case was a scare. When she had her third caesarean operation in 2015, she survived by the whiskers. “That was the toughest pregnancy and my doctor monitored me closely. Two weeks to delivery date, I had stabilised and the scan showed that the baby was okay and I could have a normal delivery. On that fateful morning, I was on my way to work when I noticed the labour pains and I had to do a U-turn to the hospital. My doctor was excited and I was taken into the labour room immediately. I spent about four hours there and I was getting weak and tired. At that point, we opted for an operation and I passed out after the injection. The operation was successful but the first two months was traumatic for me. I lost so much weight and looked like a skeleton. By the third month, I fell ill and the tests revealed that I had typhoid and I was so scared that I was going to lose my life. Luckily, I survived,” she reminisced.

    Ugochi Eboh is another survivor and sadly she said that death was only one metre away when it happened to her.  “It wasn’t something that I prepared for and it happened so suddenly. That was my last baby. I have six children and it was my sixth baby. When I got pregnant for that baby, I was so sad and didn’t know what to do with another baby. It was tough coping with the children in the house.”

    Confused, she began to think of what to do with the pregnancy and consulted a few people around her about the matter. “When the pregnancy was about three months, I went to the hospital and the mission at that point was to flush the baby out. However, the first doctor that I met said it was impossible. I went to two hospitals and they asked me why I wanted to do it. I told them that I already have five children and they were enough. But, somehow, they encouraged me to keep the baby. I was not happy and I continued to think of what to do.”

    An idea came up and at this point Ugochi believed that the baby would not survive the odds. “I started taking some concoctions and by the time the pregnancy was six months, my stomach was really small but it still survived. I had done scan and by the time the pregnancy was seven months, they told me that it looked like it was just two months old. Then when it was nine months, I went to the hospital and they told me that the baby was bridged.”

    To her utmost surprise the baby survived. “That night, as I was sleeping, the water busted and I was taken to Apapa General Hospital where I registered. God really wanted to save me because the doctor who was handling my case was on duty. I got there around 9pm and the doctor came around 11pm. When he took a good look at me and the state that I was in, he told me that I could not have the baby on my own. At this point, blood started gushing out and he quickly called them to wheel me straight into the theatre. The woman who was to give me anaesthesia injection had gone and they started calling her to come back.”

    In the theatre, the battle for survival continued: “It was as if God just wanted to save me. The woman told me to hold my back with a pillow and within a short period the operation was over. I heard my baby crying and it was a girl. The baby was so dark and I couldn’t believe it was my daughter. Then they took her away and I was wheeled into the maternity ward. Twenty minutes later, I began to experience excruciating pain and I started screaming. They kept telling me not to raise my head; the drug had entered my brain. The pain was just too much and I started screaming. So many things happened but God saved me. They kept telling me not to raise my head but it was a general ward and there was noise here and there. I started having terrible headache and they said that there was no drug for the headache. When I lay down, the headache stopped and as I made to get up the headache got up with me. I had never experienced such a thing in my life before and later they said I needed blood. I was so down and they gave me two pints of blood. I thank God that in spite of the challenge, my baby and I survived.”

    The crux of the matter, however, is that even though there are a number of caesarean disasters, it has actually helped to save the lives of so many other women who could not have delivered their babies on their own. Health care personnel across the country have therefore advised mothers-to-be not to see giving birth through CS as a death sentence, and the earlier expectant mothers know this, the better for them

  • ‘Tree planting prevents disasters’

    ‘Tree planting prevents disasters’

    The Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged Lagosians to support the state’s campaigns for tree planting.

    The Governor spoke at this year’s tree planting day, organised by the Bariga Local Council Development Area (LCDA), and held at Ajidagan Nursery and Primary School, Bariga Lagos.

    The event with its theme ‘Lend a hand to save trees’, was part of the state’s plan to plant 10miilion trees by 2020.

    Ambode, who was represented by the Science and Technology Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mr Fola Padonu, said tree planting was not just aimed at beautifying the environment, but also to prevent pollution, flooding, increased biodiversity, among others.

    He said it was imperative for corporate organisations, schools, offices and individuals to continue to planttrees yearly.

    The Council’s Sole Administrator Prince Sanya Osijo said the maiden tree planting in Lagos was in 2008 aimed at, among others, protecting the environment against pollution and flooding.

    The Council boss said trees also provide aesthetics, oxidation and nutrition in food and medicine. ‘’They soothe the Ozone layer and reduce the depletion of the earth’s surface,’’ saying they also provide shades for humanity.

    He urged Lagosians to join the tree-planting campaign to enable the government fulfil its mission, adding that over six million trees have been planted in the state.

    He thanked LASPARK for sustaining the campaign, adding that through their efforts many Lagosians, especially youths, have been keyed into the project.

     

  • Ogun, NCRIB partner on building, disasters insurances

    Ogun, NCRIB partner on building, disasters insurances

    Ogun State government has collaborated with the Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) to enforce relevant Acts on insurance of public buildings.

    The state also stated its readiness to partner brokers in the area of disaster management and enforcement of Section 64 and 65 of Insurance Act 2003 on insurance of public buildings.

    The Ogun State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Adewale Oshinowo while receiving the NCRIB delegation to the State Secretariat, said the need to engage insurance professionals in risk management is pertinent.

    He said: “In view of recent incessant building collapse and other forms of disasters across the nation, it is expedient for the state, which prides itself as the economic hub of the nation and its proximity to Lagos, to partner with brokers to win more investors mind.

    “It is a known fact that Ogun is one of the most strategic states in Nigeria today, partly because of its proximity to Lagos which has remained the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria.

    “Government could also be saved of unnecessary hassle of dolling out the meagerly acquired fund of the state to compensate victims of insurable disaster when insurance professionals could handle same at a very minimal cost.”

    He enjoined brokers to think out of box and be more creative in their product development that would directly impact people’s lives.

    NCRIB President, Kayode Okunoren, who led the delegation on the courtesy visit, applauded the state government under the administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun for human and physical transformation which has been recorded in the state since he assumed office.

    According to him, no country can have sustainable economic development by making insurance its last consideration. Funds from insurance constitute a large percentage of investible reserves of most progressive nations apart from guaranteeing peace of mind which is germane to progress, he said.

    Okunoren regretted that the law on insurance of public buildings that was promulgated to protect citizens against losses is not being adhered to by most states.

    He solicited for the support of the state in the area of compliance with law enforcement on public building and a disaster management through insurance.