The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Doctors

  • Have mercy on us, UCH patients beg govt, doctors

    It was a pitiable sight at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, yesterday with many of the patients and their relatives loitering around in agony and pain.

    At the entrance of the hospital, some patients sat on the floor with their relatives; others were on the corridors with no doctors to attend to them.

    They appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health to wade into the feud between the management and resident doctors.

    The striking doctors are demanding for the payment of skipping allowance owed by the hospital management.

    But the Chief Medical Director, Prof Temitope Alonge, insisted that the said allowance was not included in the 2014 budget, adding that only the National Salary and Wages Commission can provide answer to the demands.

    A patient, Aderogba Akiolu, appealed to the Ministry of Health and the management to end the strike action for the sake of the masses.

    “I’m a cardiac patient and I have been coming here daily to see if they have ended the strike. I cannot afford to go to a specialist hospital. The only place that I can receive treatment is here at the UCH where they have qualified hands.

    “Tomorrow, I will still check if God says I will be alive. The government and the management of the hospital should have mercy on us.

    “They should know that it is human lives involved. Why should the government watch doctors’ strike to go on for ten days without finding a solution to it?” Akiolu said.

    An aged woman, who was lying on the floor without any relative, called on the government to wade into the crisis.

    The woman, who gave her name as Mrs. Adunola, said she came to the hospital to receive treatment for cancer.

    The President, Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Lukman Ogunjimi, faulted Prof Alonge’s claims and insisted that the unpaid allowances must be paid.

  • Doctors in the house

    Doctors in the house

    Forty-two graduates of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) have taken the oath of practice. The ceremony was held in the institution’s Princess Alexandra Hall. OLADELE OGE reports.

    The role of doctors cannot be overemphasised in the health delivery chain. To enable Nigeria achieve quality health service, doctors must  understand the primary objectives of their calling, which are to treat illnesses and save lives, said Prof Benjamin Ozumba, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, (UNN) at the  induction of veterinary medicine graduates.

    The event was held last Wednesday in the university’s Princess Alexandra Hall.  It started at 11am, with the procession of the 42 veterinary medicine graduates into the hall. The graduands looked resplendent in their well-tailored suits.

    Prof Ozumba, represented by his deputy for Administration, Prof Edwin Igbokwe, congratulated the inductees for their courage and hard work during their undergraduate days. He advised them to maintain the culture of excellence for which the school is known, saying they must strive to achieve the best for themselves.

    He urged the graduands to use their scientific knowledge and talents for the benefit to the society, stressing that the school had trained them to be authority in the prevention of animal diseases. If human must not be made to suffer, the VC said, animals also deserve good living condition.

    The VC wanted the graduates to be in the vanguard of change as they were formally inducted into the profession, advising them to be guided by the ethics of the profession and the underlying values of their alma mater.

    Prof Ozumba praised the Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Prof Chukwunyere Nwosu, for keeping the standards of the school high and his contributions to the accolades the school had received in teaching veterinary medicine.

    Prof Nwosu highlighted the tasks of the profession to the society, which he said, is pertinent to human health. He described animals as creatures next to human being, saying their wellbeing or suffering affects the health of the society.

    He said: “If domestic animals like dog, goat and chicken in our environment are in good health, it is also a great benefit to human lives because human won’t contract any disease through consumption of these animals. If they are being ravaged by disease, no human being would like to consume them as meal.”

    Prof Nwosu described efforts made by veterinary doctors in preventing animal sickness as great achievements, urging the inductees to do more by enlightening the public on new development in the profession.

    The Dean explained that excellent research in veterinary medicine has encouraged professionals in the field to have trust in graduates produced by the school in solving challenges facing animal species.

    Outlining the new agenda for the veterinary doctors, the President of Veterinary Council of Nigeria, Prof Garuba Sharabutu, said the council had identified itself with best practices in the continent, urging the inductees not to bypass standards.

    Sharabutu said the role of veterinary doctors had been misunderstood, adding that the graduates’ services are needed in museums, poultries and rural healthcare centres. He said the council was repositioning the methods of training for students to enable them discover their areas of interest.

    He urged the incoming government to consider investment in veterinary medicine, animal husbandry and animal sciences to boost the profession in the country.

    Sharubutu warned the graduates against unethical practice, which he said may lead to revocation of license to practise. He added that the certificates given to them were provisional and only valid for one year to checkmate irregular practice among veterinary doctors.

    The Registrar of the council, Dr Marcus Avong, urged the parents, guardians and non-governmental organisations to play role of a watchdog to the graduates to enable them maintain standards of the training given to them.

    Highlights of the event included the approval of the certificates by the council.

     

  • NMA decries attack on doctors, nurses in Ekiti

    •Judge: I didn’t stop impeachment

    Worried by what it called “incessant harassment and attacks on doctors and health workers”, the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in Ekiti State has called on security agencies to save its members.

    The state NMA Chairman, Dr. John Akinbote, who raised the alarm at a briefing yesterday condemned recent attacks on health professionals in some government-owned hospitals.

    Some people believed to be hoodlums and drivers’ unions members last week beat up a doctor in Efon Alaaye in Efon Local Government Area.

    A nurse was beaten and a doctor threatened in Aramoko, Ekiti West Local Government Area.

    Some drivers’ union members beat up the doctor at Efon for allegedly failing to attend to their injured colleague at the town’s general hospital.

    Akinbote, who described doctors and health workers as “endangered species”, warned against further attacks on them.

    The NMA boss lamented that health workers were constantly being abused by families of patients and transport unions members without provocation.

    He said: “Some relatives recently beat a nurse in General Hospital, Aramoko, for not sitting with a patient.

    “They also threatened to beat the doctor on duty who started begging them to spare his life.

    “The doctor is still receiving threat messages for reporting the matter.

    “Also at General Hospital in Aramoko, members of National Union of Road Transport Workers threatened to beat up a doctor.

    “We are fast becoming an endangered species.

    “We, therefore, urgently call on the government and law enforcement agencies to curtail the attack and harassment of our members.”

    The NMA called on the government to expedite action on the implementation of the adjusted revised Consolidated Medical Salary Scale Circular issued by the Federal Government since January 1, last year.

  • Re: Our agenda for Buhari by doctors, others

    SIR: The pharmaceutical society of Nigeria wishes to express its gratitude to your publication for your exclusive on the above subject matter.

    We however wish to draw your attention to the caption – Our agenda for Buhari by doctors, others… While conceding that editors have a liberty to decide the captions that suits them best, it is imperative to point out that the aforementioned caption assaults sensibilities and deals fatal blows on the pride of health professionals especially pharmacists.

    It is painful that at a time we continue to seek mutual respect for all concerned in the health sector, this type of caption encourage the conqueror mentality doctors in collaboration with some biased stakeholders continue to impose on our perennially volatile health sector.

     

    • Gbalagade Iyiola, MAW

    Mushin, Lagos.

     

  • Doctors in the house

    Doctors in the house

    The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) inducted 64 graduating medical students last week. One of them, Miss Ganiyat Akera, stole the show as the best graduating student, bagging seven prizes and awards. OLAWALE ODEYEMI (300-Level History) reports.

    All roads led to the main auditorium of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) last week for the induction of grduating medical students. Sixty-four of them took the Hippocratic Oath in a ceremony witnessed by their family members and friends.

    Miss Ganiyat Akera emerged the best graduating student, bagging seven awards.

    She walked to the podium to receive the honours amidst cheers from members of the audience. She won the prize endowed by the Academic Staff of the College of Health Sciences; Best Student in Maternal and Child Health, endowed by Medical Women Association of Nigeria (MWAN), the late Dr. Hamzat Olayinka Braimoh Academic Prize and Prof Matthew Akinyemi Araoye Annual Prize for Best Student in Medicine, among others.

    She also won the College Book Voucher and Olalomi Hospital Annual Award for Best Student in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

    The Provost, Wahab Johnson, a professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, described the graduating class as 64 olive green inductees, saying they  distinguished themselves in knowledge and practice.

    His words: “Our robust medical programme has continued to turn out well-trained medical doctors, who have continued to contribute quantitatively and qualitatively to the healthcare needs of our nation. With today’s induction of 64 additional doctors, our medical school has produced a total of 4,062 in the 38years of its existence.

    “We have continued to get institutional commendations, indicating a distinctive brand of clinical competence and commendable knowledge by our products.”

    He said inductees’ formal initiation into the medical profession was an entry into an honourable profession, which has sole objective to save lives.

    Congratulating the graduands, the provost hailed the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Abdulganiyu Ambali, for promoting excellence.

    The VC, in his address titled: Erudite professionals, said the university was proud of the students for proving to be worthy in character and learning, key variables, which he said the school usually check before issuing students its certificates.

    Prof Ambali said: “The hallmarks of professionalism, especially for doctors, include integrity, honesty, trust, responsibility, confidentiality, altruism, excellence, team work and continuous improvement. As today marks your professional initiation, there is need for you to prove your professionalism. Always hold these values dear and do not compromise the values of the profession.”

    The Vice-chancellor urged the new doctors to improve their learning and training to live above board. He advised them not to engage in practice that could tarnish the image of the university, noting that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) would not hesitate to withdraw license of anyone found wanting in compromising standard.

    The highpoint of the event was the administration of Hippocratic Oath on the inductees by the MDCN Chief Registrar, Dr. AbdulMumini Ibrahim.

    An inductee, Samuel Fayose, said: “I feel really great having become a doctor today. This is a moment I have been longing to witness. I admit that there were challenges before my graduation today, especially the trouble moments I had in pathology and pharmacology. I give glory to God for making me see the end of it all.”

    Another graduand, who came from Cameroon, Benedicta Samba, said: “My training as medical doctor has been an interesting one. Although I faced challenges and that is normal in all discipline. Nevertheless, it is awesome and this is a happy moment for me.”

    Damilare Ariyibi also won five awards and prizes as Second Best Graduating Student. Other awardees are Gideon Okeke, who is Best Student in First Professional MBBS Examination, as well as in Community-Based Experience and Services (COBES) and Kazeem Ahmed, winner of Prof Adeoye Lambo Annual Prize for Best Student in Neuropsychiatry.

    The event was attended by principal officers of the college, University of Ibadan (UI) VC, Prof Issac Adewole, traditional rulers, and top government officials.

  • Doctors’ wives praise varsity

    Wives of medical doctors have described the establishment of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, as a remedy for the falling education standard in Nigeria.

    The doctors’ spouses gave the description during their visit to the varsity as part of activities marking the Annual General Meeting and International Annual Scientific Conference of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPN).

    The women, who were amazed by facilities in the varsity, urged parents to stop sending their children abroad to study, arguing that teenagers are prone to influence that could corrupt their morale.

    They spoke through the Chairman, Conference Protocol Sub-Committee, Dr. Ade Tade.

    They met with the Founder, Chief Michael Ade-Ojo and Chairman, Governing Council, Prof. Sylvester Adegoke.

    According to Chief Ade-Ojo, he established the institution to correct abnormalities he discovered in the nation’s education system.

    The founder added that discipline and academic excellence are priortised by the university.

  • Doctors urge kidnappers, robbers to spare them of attack

    Doctors urge kidnappers, robbers to spare them of attack

    The National President of the Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria(AGPMPN)Dr Omo-Ehijele Odafe has urged armed robbers and kidnappers to spare his members from attack because of their humanitarian services to the society.

    Besides, he decried the over taxation and other unfriendly levies being imposed on medical doctors which according to him have not assisted in sustaining medical entrepreneurship.

    Addressing reporters in Akure, the Ondo State capital during the three- day 37th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association, Dr Odafe expressed concern over rampant cases of abduction and killing of private medical practitioners by kidnappers and armed robbers respectively.

    According to him:”Doctors are for humanitarian service, we treat everybody, armed robbers and kidnappers should leave our members alone, we have no money, but we are using our skills and intelligence to help the society”.

    He called on the Federal Government to provide security for members of the association who are daily being attacked, adding that hazard insurance for private and public hospitals would boost their operation.

    The Private Doctors’ president recalled that the first ever case of Ebola disease in Nigeria was detected in a private hospital before it was vigorously tackled.

    He urged the Federal Government to provide a health bank for private medical practitioners to enable them access cheap funds as against the normal bank loans which attract 30 per cent interest.

    His words “we want to deploy our resources in funding health care delivery without hardship in order to serve people.

    The AGPMPN President hailed President Goodluck Jonathan for constituting a team to look into the issue of the establishment of World class hospitals in the six geo-political zones of the country for the benefits of the masses.

    He advised the government to discourage the sponsoring of public servants for medical check-up in other countries when there are good hospitals in Nigeria.

  • How to resolve govt, doctors feud, by commissioner

    How to resolve govt, doctors feud, by commissioner

    How can the frequent conflicts between the government and health workers, especially doctors, be addressed?

    The solution lies in workers  being committed to their jobs rather than being propelled by pecuniary gains, says Lagos State Commissioner for Health Dr Jide Idris. He was delivering a lecture at the 16th Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) Founders Day with the theme, Restoring and promoting professionalism in medical practice.

    Idris said  doctors and stakeholders must be propelled from the standpoint of, “our responsibilities to our patients/clients and even the society at large in finding solutions to overcoming these challenges. New approaches requiring thinking out of the box and better mastering of the political resolution of such conflicts should be embraced”.

    Quoting a Canadian physician and one of the four founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Sir William Osler, Idris said: “You are in this profession as a calling, not as a business, as a calling which exacts from you at every  turn self-sacrifice, devotion, love and tenderness to your fellow men. Once you get down to a purely business level, your influence is gone and the true light of your life is dimmed. You must work in the missionary spirit, with a breadth of charity that raises you far above the petty jealousies of life.”

    Professionalism, according to  Idris,  must not be compromised  because, “professionalism is an important component of medicine’s contract with society”.

    “Not only do we need to make good decisions for our patients based on the evidence in the literature, but we also  need to apply those decisions in a way that is professional and ultimately helps our patient. Certain behaviours early in medical education do correlate with unprofessional behaviours during a physician’s career. We need to be vigilant in looking for those behaviours and let our  students and trainees know why we are so concerned about them. Physicians are likely to improve in professionalism with training and experience,” he said.

    He added: “Professionalism is widely accepted as a central element of healthcare, but it is a complex and multifaceted concept that is often difficult to define or even measure. Consequently, it is frequently described in terms of its absence and negative values, behaviours and relationships that are demonstrated when things have gone wrong.

    “The emphasis should therefore, shift to reinforcing the positive and professional behaviours that are expected of staff and to articulate how they can be motivated and supported to enact the quality agenda.”

    Idris urged tutors to harp on professional ethics to sustain the allure of medical practice.  “A comprehensive discussion of professionalism in medicine must include its impact on successive generations of physicians. Fifty years ago, doctors acting professionally emphasised medicine as a calling and an ability to act as the authority for patients in crisis at home and in hospitals.

    “Therapeutic options were limited relatively to modern era, and the laying on of hands was practiced as science and art. Today, doctors balance increasing demands on time and efficiency with the sense of primacy of patient care. Technological innovation and patients’ increasing access to medical knowledge through varying media of inconsistent quality challenge physicians in novel ways,” he said.

    Idris added:“Fifty years in the future, doctors will have access to vast amount of information through a multitude of non-invasive diagnostics. Progressively more personalised medicine should inspire doctors to become more adept at communicating effectively with patients. Professionalism in medicine through these generations embodies similar fundamental behaviours, such as demonstrating compassion, respect and humility; adhering to high ethical and moral standards; subordinating personal interest to that of others and reflecting on actions and decisions.”

    “Despite the dynamic nature of medicine itself,” Idris explained, “the omnipresent need for such traits will define medical professionalism for decades to come. The need to balance the advancement of medicine with societal need and a sense of accountability will be even more important, as the unprecedented wealth of medical, pharmaceutical and technological options will demand the vigilance of physicians in every aspect of their practice.

    “As our tools help us treat disease as never before, we will require more confidence in our knowledge and abilities to interprete vast amount of data and to  connect with our patients beyond the machines, the pills and the lab tests. As practitioners, we must prevent doctor-patient interactions from becoming sterile, mechanical, technology-driven processes.”

    In attendance, were  Head of Department, Community and Primary Health, Dr  Kikelomo Wright; Dean FBMS, Dr Femi Amole; Dean FCS, Dr Abiodun Adewuya; former Provost, Prof. Olumuyiwa Odusanya; the Provost, Prof. G.O.G Awosanya; Dean FD, Prof Ademola Olaitan; Chairman Lagos State Univeristy Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) Board, Dr Williams; Deputy Provost LASUCOM, Prof. Wole Adedeji; former Lagos University Teaching  Hospital (LUTH) Chief Medical Director (CMD), Prof Akin Osibogun and Medical Elder, Dr Ore Falomo.

     

  • Doctors remove Iheanacho’s leg PoP

    Doctors remove Iheanacho’s leg PoP

    Flying Eagles Chief coach Manu Garba has revealed that Manchester City FC of England’s doctors removed the Plaster of Paris (POP) in one of Kelechi’s leg last week Thursday.

    According to coach Manu Garba, Manchester City’s management called to also express their reservations over the various media reports in Nigeria that they have refused to release the creative midfielder, who won the best player in the last U-17 Championship in United Arab Emirates to join the U-20 team for the 2015 AYC in Senegal.

    “Kelechi Iheanacho is a player that can add value to any team. But at present, he has an ankle injury. They had just removed the PoP on Thursday. I spoke with the Man City official who called me that they are receiving negative media reports from here in Nigeria that they are not willing to release the player. He said Kelechi is down with injury, that when he is fit, and there is time, he would join the team”.

    Manu Garba further confirmed that the player would surely add value to his team , and that he would not hesitate to invite him as soon as he is fit: ” If Kelechi were to be around in the match we played against Enyimba, he would have added value to the team, because, he is a player who would have converted some of those chances that were thrown away. He would have buried some of them”.

    The former junior international boasted that though the Man City player would be valuable in team, but that does not imply that he would have automatic jersey in the team.

    “In my team, there is no automatic shirt for anybody or any player. This was obvious when Iheanacho came for the qualifiers against  Tanzania, he could not displace those in the team and he started on the bench. When he comes back, he has to show us what he is capable of doing before he would pick a starting shirt or making the 21-man list”.

    The former Gombe United player said: ” We do not rely on individual player. If you recall, during the World Cup when Isaac Success got injured, a lot of Nigerians were worried. They did not know that Taiwo Awoniyi was sitting and waiting for an opportunity and he proved everyone wrong by scoring four goals and a lot of assists. There are a lot of players that did not partake in this team, still waiting for chances and they are as good as any other player,” he said.

  • Eagles’ doctors monitor Akpan

    Eagles’ doctors monitor Akpan

    •Reading FC star awaits final clearance

    Reading of England midfield roamer, Hope Akpan, has started training with his club’s first team in the United Kingdom and should be cleared fit to resume competitive football action by the end of this month, Super Eagles doctor, Ibrahim Gyaran, declared at the weekend.

    Doctor Gyaran, who said he has been mandated by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to keep tabs on all injured national team players, said he has been following up on Akpan after the star midfielder pulled a shoulder in the Super Eagles’ 2-0 away win over Congo Brazzaville in Pointe Noire in the run-up to the ongoing Nations Cup in Equatorial Guinea.

    He noted that it has become a tradition in the NFF and the Super Eagles for officials to keep tabs on the welfare of players in particular and the entire staff of the team in general. “The Team Administrator, Dayo Enebi Achor, has been working on that alongside the Head Coach and the medical team to ensure that players an’d officials of the national team are in good health at all times”, he said.

    He further announced that following his interaction with Akpan, he got to know that the player has a final clearance to do with doctors in England by the end of January to enable him resume active football action with his clubside. “I want to re-emphasise that Hope Akpan has started active training with the first team of Reading and only awaits final clearance from the doctors who operated on his shoulder by the end of this month to resume full action with his club side”, Gyaran declared.