Tag: health

  • Dreary health card

    •That Nigeria is among the seven laggards in Africa is nothing to crow about

    Global health has improved, with an average of five years added to life expectancy, in the last 15 years. But that is not the case with Nigeria, stuck among the seven lowest life expectancy in Africa, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Statistics for 2016.

    Yet, Africa has not only generally improved; it gained the most, of all the continents, by the latest WHO statistics. Besides, compared with the global leaders, Switzerland and Japan, Nigeria’s rating is very depressing. By WHO figures, a male child, born in Switzerland, would likely live for 69 years; while the girl-child, born in Japan, would likely live for 71 years. Contrast these with Nigeria’s 54.5 years average, and the starkness is clear.

    The corresponding figures, among the six other African laggards, are: Lesotho, 53.7 years; Cote d’Ivoire, 53.3 years; Chad, 53.1 years; Central African Republic, 52.5 years, Angola, 52.4 years and Sierra Leone, 50.1 years.

    Aside from Lesotho, a cursory look at all of these countries would reveal political instability, which tended to have wrecked great havoc on developmental health. Chad had, for years, been a cauldron of civil war; the same with Angola, until the defeat and killing, in 2002, of Jonas Savimbi, of the rebel National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA). Even then, the Angolan Civil War had lasted for 26 years, four months, three weeks and three days, from November 11, 1975 to  April 4, 2002, according to Wikipedia.

    Sierra Leone virtually collapsed as the Liberian crisis, otherwise called the ‘diamond wars’, snowballed. Cote d’Ivoire saw serious instability, no thanks to tense democratic succession, while CAR is always in and out of crises.

    So, all of these countries, including Nigeria, clearly had dissipated vital resources on crises, at the expense of key infrastructure, in primary and preventive health.

    Yet, according to the WHO report, biggest improvements in life expectancy in Africa arose from higher investment in social infrastructure, leading to better health care for children (including vastly diminished infant mortality and less fatalities at childbirth), and better access to drugs for malaria and AIDS.

    Why Nigeria has faltered is clear: the country must spend more on social infrastructure. Aside from not spending enough on this critical developmental plane, corruption lays a-waste international health grants: witness the corruption scandal that has led to the suspension of the ATM Global Fund (for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria).

    Even if the highest odds against high life expectancy would appear clustered around the baby and infant years (so there is a clear need for improved policies on child health and development), adult Nigerians could do with less stress.

    With epileptic electricity, environmental noise and chaotic traffic (in Nigerian urban centres); and low access to clean and potable water, mostly in the rural areas (though urban access to clean water too is nothing to crow about), it is clear social infrastructure is an area Nigerian governments should tackle fast.

    But improved physical infrastructure too — in modernised rail and improved roads  networks — would go a long way. To start with, the willful slaughter on the highways, due in part to battered roads and reckless driving, is unacceptable. But that is partly because the roads themselves are over-burdened with heavy cargo that should go by rail or even internal waterways, if well developed.

    It is good the Federal Government is devoting 30 per cent of the 2016 budget to roads and rail.  A faithful implementation is called for, while consolidation is expected in subsequent years.

    “The figures represent great strides in global health,” enthused WHO Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan, of the WHO World Health Statistics 2016. ”The world has made great strides in reducing the needless suffering and premature deaths that arise from preventable and treatable diseases.”

    That may well be. But as long as Nigeria is left behind, it means near-nothing. On this score, the Nigerian government has its job cut out.

  • Ugwuanyi’s wife’s health plan for rural dwellers

    Ugwuanyi’s wife’s health plan for rural dwellers

    Enugu State governor’s wife Mrs. Monica Ugwuanyi has announced her health priority list, with enhancing rural dwellers’ well-being topping it.

    She promised to pay attention to cervical cancer, hypertension, eye problems, type-2 diabetes and heart failure, among others.

    Mrs. Ugwuanyi spoke at an event convened by her pet health project, “Ugo Touch of Life Foundation” involving free medical mission and empowerment of rural women and youths which took place at Orba, Udenu Local Government Area.

    During the event, Mrs. Ugwuanyi presented de-worming packs, drugs, books, wash hand basins and stands to five primary schools which she visited in the area, noting that, more schools would benefit in the next exercise.

    Mrs. Ugwuanyi expressed gratitude to all her collaborators particularly the Masters Energy Ltd, Path 2 and the UNTH Volunteer doctors, urging other philanthropists, NGOs in the state to join hands to better the lot of the ruralites of the state.

    The hostess and the wife of the caretaker committee chairman, Udenu local government council, Barr Mrs. Ifeoma Ugwu appreciated the governor’s wife for flagging off the project in her local government council, stressing that the initiative was bound to checkmate the spread of worms in school children and instill in them life saving hand washing culture.

    Also speaking, the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Sam Ngwu, commended Mrs. Ugwuanyi for her laudable projects initiated to better the life of women and youths in the state.

    Ngwu noted that the Ministry of Health would assist Ugo touch of life foundation to achieve its laudable project towards saving the lives of women/youths and as well as empower the less privileged in the society.

  • Health benefits of mango

    Health benefits of mango

    • Mango fruit is rich in pre-biotic dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and poly-phenolic flavonoid antioxidant compounds.
    • According to new research study, mango fruit has been found to protect against colon, breast, leukaemia and prostate cancers. Several trial studies suggest that polyphenolic anti-oxidant compounds in mango are known to offer protection against breast and colon cancers.
    • Mango fruit is an excellent source of Vitamin-A and flavonoids like beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, and beta-cryptoxanthin. 100 g of fresh fruit provides 765 IU or 25 perfect of recommended daily levels of vitamin-A. Together; these compounds have been known to have antioxidant properties and are essential for vision. Vitamin A is also required for maintaining healthy mucous and skin. Consumption of natural fruits rich in carotenes is known to protect from lung and oral cavity cancers.
    • Fresh mango is a good source of potassium. 100 g fruit provides 156 mg of potassium while just 2 mg of sodium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps controlling heart rate and blood pressure.
    • It is also a very good source of vitamin-B6 (pyridoxine), vitamin-C and vitamin-E. Consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful oxygen-free radicals. Vitamin B-6 or pyridoxine is required for GABA hormone production within the brain. It also controls homocystiene levels within the blood, which may otherwise be harmful to blood vessels resulting in coronary artery disease (CAD), and stroke.

     

    • Culled from: www.nutrition-and-you.com
  • Matters of Health: Questions from people and patients

    Dear Doctor

     I am a regular reader of your articles and will be very happy if you try and set time aside to talk to people and help find solutions to their problems. I am 42 years old married to a beautiful woman of 36 years of age . We love each other very much. Since we got married I found out that each time I look at my wife ,desire overtakes me .We have two children ,but the problem is that I can not do what is expected from me . Some times she does every thing and then we manage to have good sex, but any time I try to go on and take over, my body fails to respond .She is not the type that complains but I feel  her sadness. I have tried many ways, and done many tests, but nothing was found. I have seen many Doctors. Please help me before my marriage breaks down completely.

    Answer

    The situation here bothers on erectile dysfunction or impotence. Much has been written about the inability of a man to achieve and sustain penile erection adequate enough to penetrate and  successfullyperform the coital exercise . It is becoming more and more common these days because of the increasing exposure of men to stress from the environment and the stress brought on them by other internal conditions over which they havelittle  or no control. It is true that what you eat and drink can affect your ability to perform satisfactorily, but it is important that you know for certain, that, age is an important factor .More over, all men are not equal when it comes to certain physical endowments. Some men just happen to be born with the stamina and sex hormones similar to that found in Horses and Dogs .So  it is useless to  compare

    Interestingly, there  is now hope for every one ,including patients undergoing treatment for hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Medicines used to treat these ailments have a way of seriously affecting the rheology(blood flow dynamics) of the penis and the interplay of  relays between the two chains of the autonomic and central nervous system . Medicines are now available that completely restore men to their premorbid states ,and this in over 80% of cases occurs irrespective of age.  It is also very important for you to stop experimenting with sex performance enhancing drugs . It doesn’t matter  how qualified the person who prescribed for you or where you got them from . You simply need to see the right people and your problems will be over permanently.

     

    Dear Doctor

    Please don’t put my problem on newspaper .

    I am a thirty year old lady and my husband is either thirty eight or forty; I can’t tell .He usually behaves in a way that gives me surprise each time we have sex. He snaps, stays away from me and does not talk to me . Sometimes the abnormal behavior will last for almost two weeks . When he wants me again his behavior will become normal .I know there is something wrong and I need your advice. Also what can a woman take when her period is no longer regular?

    Answer

    The  problem recognizable from the first part of your question is best handled by you and your husband. Sit him down and talk to him . Something is getting  lost. The issues you have mentioned amount to  a catalogue consistent with break down of marriage. You need to do something fast before it gets too late and people start asking you to see a marriage counsellor

    Drugs are not prescribed online .At thirty, you should not be having issues with your menses, but be informed that  with regards to  length, onset and duration of bleeding, menstrual cycles can change from menarche to the period when menopause becomes established

     

    Dear doctor

    What drugs can I take to melt fibroid .Also can someone with fibroid pass it on to her children?

    Answer

    No one knows how fibroids arise and to the best that I know, it is not what a woman inherits from her mother. What is known however is that , fibroids tend to occur in clusters among women from certain ethnic groups and to some extent races . If there are drugs that melt any abnormal growth like fibroids, I do not know . Women with fibroids tend to believe any thing other than the simple truth that the only way to manage them safely is by surgery.  It is more certain that a drug or preparation that will melt fibroid will begin by melting other tissues like the breast tissues.

    Fibroids do recur and so one surgery does not mean that you will not have another one . It depends on many factors.

     

    Dear doctor

    I have this  problem that started two years ago. I  am 50 years old and have never suffered from any arthritis problem.  I just woke up one  morning and discovered pain in my right ankle. I could n’t walk well but after some days every thing healed by itself . Now I get severe pain anytime I walk fast for some time , So I stop from time to time . Please recommend some drugs I should take

    Answer

    Please go to the nearest Hospital ,one that  is likely to have an Orthopedic Surgeon. Nothing less. They may ask you to do X-Ray of the ankle, and then  take off from there .At that age, you need  to be careful what you do with a very important region  like the ankle where you may  think of  just one joint, but there are more than ten in that place

     

    My dear doctor.

    My wife has been struggling with different types of  skin diseases for over ten years. They have damaged the skin around her private parts and thigh. Different colors, all sorts .She is very unhappy

     I read your articles every time and can only pray that God will bless you. Where is your location so I can  come see you

    Answer

    Going further the way you indicated is going to worsen things for your wife .to the best of my knowledge, most rashes and eruptions around the private parts are more common with fat women.

    Besides, such skin diseases usually require more than one particular medication, cream, lotion or soap. Dermatologists sometimes recommend compounding more than one to get desired results

    Fat women are beautiful by the way, but obesity is a specific risk factor for some skin diseases

    Please see a dermatologist, Consultant Dermatologist so  that under his supervision, they will do other blood tests for her, including tests for glucose tolerance and blood sugar. He  may also want to rule out HIV/AIDS

     

    Dear Doctor

    I have a 19year old daughter who is actually my second child . I had her when I was 25 and every thing was very smooth. My sadness now is that her front is too heavy . Her breasts are too big for her age and I am worried that  this might  lead to one type of disease that we do not know.

    Answer

    Children born to the  second position in many families are usually bigger , stronger and healthier than others in the  nuclear family . It is either you spoilt her with too many sweet food or drinks or she is ingesting sex steroids. Baby fat cells never die completely .They are the Conner stones for adult fat, including those in the breast.Besides young girls are getting bigger these days .

     

    There are many questions to ask; how big is too big?. Are the two breasts equal? Are there lumps ?i Do Not Think Your Daughter  Has Any Disease Condition At The Moment ,but I would advice you to see a Gynecologist at your earliest convenience so you can have rest of mind or do something early enough if you need to

     

     

    Dear doctor , I am a 65 year old man and in the past twenty years I have been suffering ulcer . I have taken many drugs and I have done tests that I can not count. Is there a permanent cure ?what tests am I supposed to do? Also please direct me to a Hospital overseas where I can go for treatment

    Answer

    The diagnosis for peptic ulcer disease may be clinical and laboratory. It is only  whenthe ulcer is seen and it’s location determined that a Physician can say with certainty that a patient has either a duodenal, stomach or any other type of ulcer . The tools or equipment do not come cheap and the expertise equally uncommon.  Even for people that have had surgery for peptic ulcer disease, the problems have not completely disappeared .You might need to change your diet to go with your blood group , avoid stressful conditions, avoid ingesting  very hot and  very cold stuff . Stick to your Doctor ,because  emergencies are not uncommon for people with chronic peptic ulcer disease

     

    Dear Doctor

    I am a trained nurse in a private hospital .I am twenty nine and I  take care of my teeth as I know and don’t like sweet things

     I have observed that my upper teeth are coming out and then my upper lips are also rising up . Are my still growing teeth  or is this a disease of my gums ?

    Answer

    If you have pains and bleeding when not brushing, you might be having one type of disease of the gums

    If you bleed while brushing and no history of pains, perhaps there is avitiminosis. Outside these,

    Recession of the gums might arise from other causes .These factors and others are in the province of Dentists and Maxillofacial Surgeons. What about your Parents? Some inherited musculoskeletal features stay hidden until adult life when they now appear and affect how we look.

  • Lagos SUBEB holds health retreat

    The Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has organised a three-day health workshop aimed at increasing the productivity of its workers.

    The annual health programme, which took off at the SUBEB hall, Maryland, last Wednesday, featured health talks, screening for hepatitis B and C, HIV/AIDS, blood pressure, ophthalmic, and blood glucose, as well as a health walk from the SUBEB headquarters in Maryland to Ikeja bus stop.

    Speaking at the opening ceremony, Chairman of the Board, Dr Ganiyu Sopeyin said the workshop was the government’s initiative to increase its workers’ productivity.

    He said the government was partnering private organisations to take hepatitis B awareness to schools and the grassroots.

    “It is important for people to be able to deliver while on duty. So in line with the vision of our amiable Governor Akinwumi Ambode, we have observed that a lot of our workers do not really take care of their health, so this is a way to help them.

    “That is why we are going to partner with the ministry of health to create more awareness, especially for the parents of children in our public primary schools. We want them to conduct regular tests for their children and find solutions to their health problems early. We will also partner other stakeholders to bring this into fruition, including community heads, religious bodies, societies, individuals, among others. So that these screening points can be erected in all our schools and our pupils and teachers can take advantage of it.”

    He urged the workers to appreciate the benefits of periodic checks and take necessary actions.

    “I implore the civil servants to take advantage of these government programmes and subsidised health care organisations provided. They should take care of their health, eat right, do exercises,” Dr Sopeyin said.

    While coordinating the screening exercise, SUBEB Assistant Chief Nursing Officer, Mrs Modupe Odeleye explained the numerous benefits of the annual health event to SUBEB’s over 250 workers.

    She said: “The programme is part of staff welfare package to encourage staff to work better. A healthy being is always more productive. We also try to introduce new ideas every year. Last year, our emphasis was on HIV and cancer screening. But due to the current increase in number of people with hepatitis, we decided to focus on hepatitis B this year, with screening, vaccine and treatment plans available for everyone. The vaccine is expensive, usually about N2,400 and the Chairman has made it free for all of us. We appreciate this exercise so much.”

     

     

  • NGO gives health, nutrition tips

    No fewer than 10 model primary schools in Lagos Island Local Government, Lagos State have benefited from a two-year health and nutrition training, courtesy of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), Save the Children.

    Ahead of the event, tagged: “School health and nutrition end of project meeting”, and held at  Olive – Ace hall, Onikan, the organisers had donated  various equipment and facilities to beneficiary schools.

    The pupils, many of whom have joined the health clubs in their various schools and have been trained as Ambassadors of Change, were charged with improving the quality of their school environment and community to make it safe and clean.

    Aside the trainings, the NGO also renovated the schools’ toilet facilities, water supply and donated drinking water buckets and other cleaning supplies.

    Project Adviser for the organisation, Mrs Amaka Ifionu, said: “We take responsibility for the children around us, those ones entrusted in our care. Lagos Island is peculiar because these pupils see affluence around them but do not experience it. You will be surprised that they are more disadvantaged than pupils from lesser affluent environments.”

    She, however, pleaded with the government to increase the monthly operational and maintenance allowance given to head teachers of each school. She admonished the beneficiaries on maintenance culture of the items provided.

    State Universal Basic Education Board Chairman, Dr Ganiyu Sopeyin noted that the knowledge acquired by beneficiaries would yield fruits that would be useful to them.

    Sopeyin, who was represented by the Deputy Director of Special Education, Mrs Bunmi Oteju said: “Save the Children has since realised that the government cannot do it all alone and has, therefore, come to our aid. This gesture should be emulated by other organisations and individuals.”

    One of the trainees, a basic five pupil of St Mary’s Girls Primary School, said: “I am very happy with the NGO and company that have sent us these relief materials. I have learnt how to make my school and community clean and I am going teach my friends from other schools who have not had the opportunity of being taught like me.”

     

  • The trouble with health infrastructure… and way forward

    The trouble with health infrastructure… and way forward

    Professor of Public Health at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos and  Certified Public Private Partnership (PPP) specialist Prof Akin Osibogun examines the trouble with the health sector and how PPP could help.

    Public Private Partnership is a concept that has been challenging the understanding of several health workers and some have expressed fears that if government were to broadly adopt this concept, it will throw many health workers into the unemployment market. Others argue that the adoption of this concept by government will make health services totally inaccessible to the poor and underpriviledged.

    The argument that PPPs will create unemployment is a rather lazy one because for as long as health services are required by the citizens, staff will be required to provide the services. What will only change with the adoption of Public Private Partnership mechanisms or full privatisation is that the employing agency may not be government but rather a private entity. On the contrary, if services are more reliably provided, patronage may actually increase with resultant requirement in increased staffing.

    The second main argument that the adoption of PPP mechanisms will make health services unaffordable to the poor also does not stand to reason judging from the sources of expenditure on health in the country based on data generated by the National Health Accounts (Prof Soyibo et al). Currently, public health expenditure as a percentage of Total Health Expenditure in Nigeria is roughly 30%. This implies that up to 70% of the current Total Health Expenditure comes from private sources. Of the expenditures by the private sources, up to 65% are out of pocket expenditures by individuals and families. Obviously, the bulk of the Health Expenditure in Nigeria is from private sources. What may be required is an improved coordination of the expenditure to assure value for money.

    Current public expenditure on health goes into a general subsidy of publicly provided health services from which both the rich and the poor benefit. Some even argue that the rich benefit more from the current pattern of subsidy.  The members of the upper socio-economic classes are better able, than the lower classes,   to access the Teaching and Specialist Hospitals that consume a large percentage of public expenditure on health. The poor may not be able to afford the cost of transportation and even the time, to access services in Tertiary Hospitals until and unless their medical condition has taken a nose-dive. The rich can afford both the time and the cost of transportation.

    Perhaps a more efficient use of public funds will be to keep purchasing certain goods in public interest (e.g Tuberculosis control) and make workable arrangements for the subsidy of personal health services for the poor (e.g through subsidised health insurance premiums). This will be a targeted subsidy that is most likely to yield greater impact on national health outcomes than the current generalised subsidy. After all, the poor are the most afflicted and therefore account for a larger portion of the national disease burden.

    Public funds can also provide targeted subsidy for treatment modalities that would otherwise be unaffordable by the average Nigerian and for which insurance schemes would require exorbitant premiums in order to provide cover e.g cancer treatment and organ transplants.

    Targeting the poor for a premium subsidy will in fact improve access to health services for a far larger number of Nigerians and subsequently lead to rapid improvement in our national health indices. A proper determination of minimum benefit packages dependent on the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the country coupled with increased emphasis on preventive strategies will help us in achieving success.

    Late Margaret Thatcher, Prime Minister of United Kingdom between 1979 and 1990 was one of the strongest advocates and implementers of privatisation. She was highly criticised by the opposition Labour Party and others but the truth remain that all governments after Margret Thatcher till today, have equally embraced the use of Private Finance Initiatives and broader Public Private Partnership strategies to ensure the provision of infrastructure and services.

    It is instructive to note that despite the campaign criticisms of the Labour Party, within two months of its winning the General Elections of 1997 under Tony Blair, its Secretary for Health, Alan Milburn, announced that “when there is a limited amount of public-sector capital available,as there is, it’s PFI or bust”. (emphasis mine).

    Apart from the paucity of capital, the other main reason why Public Private Partnerships are imperative is the argument of efficiency and competition. The bureaucracies in many public establishments all over the world have often rendered them inefficient and sluggish in response to the needs of client citizens. Adherence to rules that take ages to change in response to changing times is partly responsible for that inefficiency.

    Imagine, for example, a travel allowance rules that pays a senior civil servant a sum of N10 per kilometer for a journey from Lagos to Ibadan. For this journey of 120km, the official will be entitled to a transportation allowance of N2,400.00  for the return journey. We all know that a chartered taxi from Ikeja to-and-fro Ibadan will not charge less than N20,000.00. What that means is that the official will probably not make the required supervisory visit to Ibadan. If he does make the visit, then other mechanisms will be devised by him to recoup the losses he has sustained on behalf of government.

    Managerial practices in the private sector, however, must be highly responsive to changing environments to enable a private organisation compete favourably with others in its line of business.

    A 2009 study by University College London, studying data at hospitals built since 1995, supports the argument that private-sector providers are more accountable to provide quality services: It showed that hospitals operating under PFI have better patient environment ratings than conventionally funded hospitals of similar age. The PFI hospitals also have higher cleanliness scores than non-PFI hospitals of similar age, according to data collected by the NHS. (Jameson, Angela, 2011-05-09, “PFI-funded hospitals outshine peers in study of cleanliness – Times Online”. The Times (London).

    In advocating for PPP as a mechanism for improving health infrastructure and the quality of health services, it should be pointed out that in order to achieve excellent results, its implementation must be accompanied with simultaneous implementation of other reform strategies such as mandatory health insurance with subsidised premium for the poor and low-income earners; access to soft loans and tax holidays for investors in the health sector and improved regulatory mechanisms to ensure minimum quality standards by health care providers.

    The biggest hospitals in India and the United States are not public hospitals. In the United Kingdom, although the National Health Service still exists and funds general provision of health services through tax generated revenue, hospitals have been banded into Health Trusts each with its management structures and accountable for managing its resources. Health Trusts decide locally what personnel to retain full time or part time depending on volume of patients. These Health Trusts operate under general guidelines and are monitored by an Inspector General. It is only when Health Trusts underperform that other actions are taken  or that they are brought directly under the Secretary of Health as was the case recently when 14 out of the 152 Health Trusts were brought under the Secretary of Health. The 14 Health Trusts were reported to have excessive patient mortalities and other issues of quality of service and patient safety.

    The Cuban Health System that is often cited as an example of a publicly funded and publicly administered system with high efficiency and enviable results, places a lot of emphasis on preventive strategies and ensures universal coverage. However, there are other several externalities that enabled that country to achieve its envied health indices. Cuba as a socialist country has trained large numbers of health workers and has been able to retain a large proportion of those trained despite paying comparatively low wages, by restricting emigration. Health indices achieved in Cuba has therefore been the product of a trade-off with individual freedom. Cuban economy was also largely subsidized for several decades by the then Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Now there are Russian billionaires, and the USSR has dissolved into several countries some of which have joined or are eager to join the European Union. Even the Chinese are now eating from Macdonald restaurants in China, and there are increasing arguments for individual freedom, democratisation and the abolition of absolutism. It is left to be seen whether Cuba can achieve the same results if its citizens and health workers have the freedom of migration.

    Going back to the argument that PPPs will make services more unaffordable  to the poor, it perhaps will be clearer using practical illustrations that this is further from the truth in properly structured PPPs. A personal example will start the illustration. About two years ago, coming from Akure where I had gone to discharge a commitment, I got to Ibadan at 6.00pm and considered it feasible to still get to Lagos that day instead of having to pay hotel charges for the night at Ibadan, after all, the distance is only about 120 km. In good time, we were already at the Ogere axis of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway by 6.30pm and there we witnessed one of the biggest traffic nightmares anyone could imagine. There were vehicles facing both ends of the expressway on both sides and in all one could count about 12 lanes of cars on an expressway that had only 2 lanes of road on either side. Everything was at a standstill.

    Without going into the details of the heroic efforts we made to get out of the traffic quagmire, we eventually got into Lagos at 12.30am the following day, having spent 6 hours between Ogere and Lagos that should have taken us only a little over 30 mins. There are stories of people who had spent 2-3 days on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway particularly around the Ore-Benin axis. Sagamu to Benin will be roughly 250km and should not take more than 3 hours if our roads are maintained!

    Now let us consider the economics of it. My car consumed some 40 litres of fuel for the journey from Ibadan to Lagos despite all my route maneuvers costing some N3,900 for the fuel then. There was wear and tear on my vehicle for the 6 hours of continuos revving. The car shock absorbers suffered undue exposure because of our use of dirt roads. The hidden cost of risk taken by travelling at night is difficult to estimate even if we can cost the extra 5 hours of the time wasted on this occasion.

    At Ogere on that day, a conservative estimate of the number of cars trapped in the traffic mess could be 5,000. The fuel cost alone would therefore not be less than N20m! By the time you add the costs due to wear and tear on vehicles, engine oil and lubricants, as well as opportunities forgone for 6 hours, the economic loss could not have been less than N100m! In the early 80’s when the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway was still new, I remember doing the journey in 60-80mins. Operators of commercial vehicles have of course adjusted transport fares to take into consideration all the cost elements identified earlier as well as their profit margin. Private vehicles are making the journey at an unreasonably high cost. So, if you ask me, it is far cheaper to have a well-maintained road on which a toll fee of N100-N200 per vehicle is charged and the cost of travel from Lagos to Ibadan will be far cheaper than what we are currently experiencing.

    The above estimates excludes the cost of road construction on one hand and the volume of economic activities and income generated by transportation of goods and persons on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on the other hand. As one of the busiest roads in Nigeria, it is not in doubt that the returns on investment on that road will far exceed the investments.

    The other question that comes up during discussions on PPPs is that infrastructure costs in the private sector are usually higher than in the public sector. This has been used as a supposedly strong argument against PPP. However, this argument is based on incomplete and faulty analysis. Let us assume that the government estimate for the construction of a 100km road is X million Naira while the proposal from the private partner for the same road is 1.5X million Naira, the easiest conclusion by the lay person is that the private sector proposal is costlier than the public sector proposal. However, several risk elements have to be put into consideration in order to fully understand which of the two proposals is more expensive on the long run.

    Firstly, the public sector proposal is relying on government generated revenues that will not incorporate the cost of finance. The private sector proposal is relying on sourcing of funds from banks that will charge interests (cost of finance). The cost of finance has therefore been incorporated into the proposal from the private sector.

    Secondly, the public sector proposal depending on government revenue, from experience never gets completed on time and the road construction initially estimated for completion in 2 years gets dragged on to 5 years with cost overruns. Inflation and losses to the citizens due to non-availability of the road for use thus makes the cost of the road to be far in excess of what the private sector proposal offered.

    A private sector proposal for construction time of two years is feasible because the private operator is eager to complete the road under the terms of engagement so that its financial obligations to its lenders can also be offset in timely fashion without penalties. The timely availability of the road for use by the citizens is an economic push and a lot of savings thus making the private sector proposal far cheaper than the public sector proposal. A simplified mathematical expression of costs factoring completion time will thus be as follows – government overall cost will be 5 x X million Naira (N5Xmillion) while the private sector cost will be 2 x 1.5X million Naira (N3X million) because time itself is money! This precisely is what we have been expressing with the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and similar roads where government have not been able to come up with the bulk sums required for urgent and timely completion. Alan Milburn’s statement therefore comes back to memory – “when there is a limited amount of public-sector capital available, as there is, it’s PFI or bust”.

    Structuring and designing of Public-Private Partnerships however require diligence in the estimation and allocation of risks between engaging public and private partners so as to ensure value for money in the overall interest of the public. When properly structured, PPPs create more jobs, provide more infrastructure and make life better for the citizens while the investors also get reasonable returns on their investments. The profit motive drives productivity anywhere in the world and it does not make sense not to expect investors to make profit. Well designed PPPs result in win-win situations. The alternative to PPPs when public capital and efficiency is limited, is to go bust!

  • Provost seeks creation of women/child health institute

    Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) Provost, Prof. Babatunde Solagberu, has advocated the creation of the Institute of Women and Child Health.

    He made this suggestion when members of the Medical Women Association of Nigeria, (MWAN) Lagos chapter visited him.

    The Provost, who noted that LASUCOM can be a base for the association, urged the members to remain focused.

    Solagberu said: “Remain focused on women and children and don’t be apologetic, because indirectly, men are also taken care of because the women are his wife, daughter, sister, mother and aunt.

    “Men love these women in their lives. You have the support of this College for it is looking outward, by embarking on an endowment fund. I urge this association to look beyond just outreach programmes and take advantage of the idea of creating of this institute in the College so as to form a stronger collaboration.”

    MWAN President, Lagos Chapter, Dr. Abiola Coker said the association had always been collaborating with the college,  hoping that the college’s new executive will continue to support the Association.

    “MWAN is an international organisation and the oldest medical association in the world. The mandate of the association rests mainly on the well-being of women and children.

    We will continue to pursue same, without resting on our oars,” she said.

    President-elect, Dr (Mrs) Omowunmi Bakare, a Consultant and Lecturer in the Department of Community Health and Primary Health Care of the College, said the association is passionate about issues bordering on women and children and has always developed programmes that would impact their lives.

    ”Apart from the organisation of educational programmes, the association also partners state ministries and non-governmental organisations to carry out its mandate. MWAN is already partnering LASUCOM/LASUTH on a massive cancer screening for women,” she said.

    A Consultant Dermatologist and  member of the Association, Dr. (Mrs) Frances Ajose said one of the responsibilities of the group is prevention of cancer in women. She urged the Provost to inform female students of the existence of a cancer preventive vaccine called Human Papiloma Virus (HPV). For it is the second (2nd) vaccine manufactured to prevent cancer. The other being Hepatitis virus vaccine.

  • Coping with ups and downs of health

    Some What, I was off my rockers last weekend. My blood pressure, averaging 110/70, lost a few points both ways. Usually, such loss is good news for my pulse, which revs up, sometimes part 70, sometimes hitting 80, against a minimum reference of 60 for my age. Last weekend, however, the pulse continued a downward drive to about 49. I looked straight with some concern, into the eyes of Yinka Peter, the young nurse who takes and keeps my records.

    “It’s not so good daddy”, she managed to say.

    “Yes, I know”, I replied, suspecting I may have over driven my blood pressure down with diet or I have to abandon a beta blocker eye drop brand I use for glaucoma and return to Bitter Kola eye drop, which logistic makes it more difficult for me to obtain. Bitter kola eye drop is more soothing to the eyes and heart and does the job of helping the eye drainage system to keep open, without the side effects, including low blood pressure and asthma, associated with the all-chemical beta blockers. To douse Yinka’s worry, I told her I would get a jar of Ubiquinol right away. Ubiquinol is the more bioactive form of CoQ10(co-enzymeQ10). The other variant, the Ubiquinone, has to be converted by the body to Ubiquinol before it can be effectively used, and lots of it may be lost in the process.

    Dr. Karl Folkers devoted most of his research life to the study of CoQ10. In one study in which he collaborated with some medical doctors in the Netherlands, medicine witnessed the healing of some cases of breast cancer with nutritional supplements, the prime of which was CoQ10.  Dr. Folkers & Co. gave 90mg of CoQ10 to terminally ill breast cancer patients on a nutritional therapy. But nothing unusual happened for three months until one of the women unilaterally increased her daily dosage of CoQ10 to about 390mg. Her doctors declared her terminal breast cancer cured. Many heart doctors find Ubiquinol helps the heart of their patients. In fact, Dr. Folkers has shown that the largest proportion of CoQ10 in any organ is in the heart, and that heart troubles, including heart failure or heart attack, may occur when CoQ10  level in the heart drops below 25 percent. So, as I left Yinka, I went straight for a bottle of CoQ10 soft gels, taking two gels of 100mg each two times a day, each time with a meal and ensuring there is some oil in the meal to facilitate optimal absorbtion of the supplement. While waiting for the next check on my condition, I filled the time with thoughts about the challenges of other people. Nurse Yinka Peter had told me of a Jehovah Witness woman who had surgery to remove some nagging fibroid tissues from her womb. They had been previously removed surgically but they regrew. This time around she lost so much blood that she required blood transfusion. Jehovah Witnesses do not mingle other person’s blood with theirs. So, a crisis developed, and she would rather die. Ordinarily, she would have accepted a transfusion with “blood expander”, a chemical inducer of blood formation which their faith endorses. But this was not readily available.As a last resort, she opted for beet root which this column often suggests for cleaning and building the blood.And it has worked for her, as her fellow faithfuls have discovered. Just in case they have not heard about Dr. Victor Umoh and his encounter with a Jehovah Witness case at his Ajaokuta Clinic, I would tell this story.

    met Dr. Umoh when he worked at Duro Soleye Hospital on Allen Avenue in Ikeja, Lagos about the 1980s. Then he left to found Ajaokuta Clinic. One day, he encountered a Jehovah Witness ectopic pregnancy case. She was losing blood, and would not agree to be transfused another person’s blood. A few years before then, I had told Dr. Umoh about a new product in town which the studies carried out at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital College of Medicine suggested could be the world’s fastest replenisher of blood in anaemia related conditions. He filled the information away somewhere in his memory. He retrieved it when this case arose, rushed someone to Lagos for that product, Jobelyn, administered it expertly as the patient was no longer accepting food and, to every-one’s surprise, she came round. I am not a Jehovah Witness in the strict sense of the definition of an adherent of this faith. But,I share the sect’s belief about the need for care not to pollute ones blood with another’s. I do not know how the sect came by its own doctrine about the human blood. My understanding is that (1) The spirit makes the blood (2) Fatal blood circulation is not established until the soul incarnates in the growing body midway through pregnancy (3) The bodyceases to live when blood flow stands still, and this is when the spirit leaves the body in what we earthmen call death (of the body), affirming that blood formation and circulation are related to the spirit (4) As there are no two similar human spirit, as evidenced in finger prints, the blood of one person must be different from the blood of another . In fact, author Herbert Vollman says in his KNOWLEDGE FOR THE WORLD OF TOMORROW that today’s discoveries of blood groups and genotypes may in the future appear like Stone Age knowledge when higher recognitions of the mystery of the blood pave the way to a drop of blood, like the fingerprints, to become each person’s identity card.  Infact a section of the book is title The Blood Has An Identity Card.

    Within the limits of today’s spiritual knowledge, it can be said the spirits makes the blood to use it, as a communication medium with the body.

    Therefore, when one person’s blood is mixed with another’s, the composition and radiations of the bloodstream become altered, thereby becoming not optimally usable by the spirit. It would in this light become necessary for the blood to be recomposed by the Spirit to status quoante, if healing or normalcy is to occur. It has been suggested that not only health abnormalities, but also psychic ones as well, may trail people who are transfused with another person’s blood. In extreme cases the spirit may become so unable to function properly with the new radiation that it health life may be completely wasted.

    Cases of insanity have been linked to weakened blood radiations. For when the radiation is weakened, it provides a bridge for disembodied or other entities to take over the body and control it. This may be evident also in cases of split personalities and abnormal behavior generally. In this scenario, a soul crosses the bridge to the body with a view to taking over the brain. Thus, the brain of the abnormal person may be receiving instruction from his own spirit and from the invading spirit. Only confusion and abnormality can arise from this.

    We live in a world of perpetual warfare. So to avoid a bridge being formed and let down to entities wishing to take over the body, in drug addiction for examples, the blood must be well composed.

    A former employee of the central bank in Abuja, who believes he is a constant target of attacks from out of the darkness, always asks me how fortifications against them can be built in and around the blood. Two ways always, I answered. One through spiritual (not religious) activity and two: through the diet. How diet may help, this column often mentions the green and chlorophyll. One of such columns was titled “LET US DRINK GREEN THE WORLD IS NOT GREEN FOR THE FUN OF IT”. Reference was made to four scientists who won the Nobel Prize for revealing in their work the similarity of chlorophy and heamoglobin is the red pigment of the human blood; chlorophy is the green pigment of plants.

    Chlorophy is composed by carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. Minerals magnesium holds them together. The same composition is present in heamoglobin. But in heamoglobin, iron links them together. So when greens are consumed the magnesium of the chlorophy is removed and given to muscles, bone, teeth e.t.c. and the structure is filled with iron as welding atom to recharge the blood according to the nature of the spirit. This probably accounts for the increasing popularity, worldwide, of such plants as Alfalfa, Barley grass, Karnut grass, Spirulina, Wheatgrass, Kale, Chlorella e.t.c. Recently, I told a drug addict who was struggling to free himself from his addiction, that molecules of the drug have attached themselves to the molecules of his body, are transforming there molecules negatively, overcharging and weakening them. To get rid of these killer invading molecules he must decree their ingestion gradually or, if he can, drop them in a swift U-Turn, infuse his body everyday with the molecules of these routing and cleansing green plant. The healing green molecules, being antioxidant, would attach themselves to the killer free radical molecules and drag them out of the body. He has to fortify his liver, lungs and kidneys for the excretion of these killer molecules Ditto the skin.

    Lest I forget. Like the astringent Shepherd’s purse, some of these green plants are also good for controlling or stopping bleeding. A young man who bled from the gums thought his end had come. He feared that his teeth would fall away and he may become socially obscured. His fears were worsened by his doctor’s explanation that bleeding gums may be or late warning that some internal organs had been bleeding for some time. The young man wondered if this could be the source of his seemingly unexplainable weakness for some months. Anyway, the Vitamin K in Kale and Chlorella helped stop his gum bleeding.  The places or roles of high dosages of  Vitamin C (sometimes about three grammes) and Lime Juice cannot be raced out.

    nd what about the woman with vaginal itch and discharge of whites (leucorrhoea)? Her case reminds me of that of another young woman who had laboured to find a man who would marry her, and just when the stage was set, her body threatened to wreck her chances. The gentleman was in England. They met during his last holiday to Nigeria. A few weeks from when he was to return from their marriage, the woman developed Vaginitis, pain and bleeding. Golden Seal Root taken orally and applied in the Vagina helped her overcome these conditions. The latest case has a choice between Golden Seal root powder and Mango Seed Extract powder. The latter has many uses.  In India, women use it as a contraceptive by pasting the Vagina with it.  The paste kills the sperm. It is obvious from this that Mango Seed Extract Powder paste would kill vaginal germs as well. Water may not be used in the making of the paste of the extract or any other meant for delivery into the vagina, as it may help the germs to grow. Propolis cream or Aloe Vera cream should offer a good carrier base for it. I imagine Coconut oil should help, too, given its anti-microbial prowess. But I am familiar with the egg white. It is a protein the vagina is said to tolerate well. After the healing of the vagina, it is suggested that friendly bacteria flora, killed along with the dangerous germs, be re-established, so the vagina can continue to enjoy the protection of this Brigade of Guards of sort. This means nightly insertion of a capsule of probiotic (friendly bacteria) for about one or more weeks, especially after the menstrual cycle. Depending on the severity of the condition, this may be proceeded by the use of Happy Woman or Guffebau, as this Tampax –like product is called in Nigeria. It is inserted into the vagina or the second day of the cycle being over and left on for between three and five days, to extract impurities from up to the tubes. When the battles is all over and won, it is suggested that a woman always line her brief with a pant liner. There are all sorts of them on the NIGERIAN market today. The one which appeals to me most to recommend is Long reach’s brand because long way action benefit for the user, namely… (1) Many Nigerian women hang their briefs to dry in the toilet. When the water closet (WC) is flushed, the pressure of in-rushing water displaces air, which is evident in the odour that follows a flush. With the displaced air comes displaced germs as well. If they settle on the briefs, and the briefs are not ironed to kill them before they are worn, the germs may infect the vagina. But an antibiotic pant liner would kill them before they do. (2) Droppings from the vagina may contain germs. As a brief is worn almost throughout the day, this gives the micro-organisms enough time to reproduce and re-infect the vagina. An antibiotic part liner destroys them before they can grow out of control. Even briefs hung outdoor to dry do attract germs in dust or pollen from plant. This may wreak havoc if the brief is not ironed before it is worn. The long reach brand also deodorise the virginal, it is claimed by the producers that one proof of this is that, when it is worn inside shoes, men with foot odor who would not pull off their shoes in public because of the embarrassment of doing so, find the cause of their fear is swallowed or absorbed into the pant liner.

    Last Monday, nurse Yinka Peter rechecked my blood pressure and random blood sugar. Despite a breakfast of four banana and four mangoes, washed down with orange juice, the random blood such count was 96. Perhaps the credit for that goes to KYOLIC BLOOD SUGAR. A blood sugar burner from kyolicwakanuga which supplies FENUGREEK and other sugar burning herbs in one ware house. The blood pressure was 102/68, against a normal for many years of 110/70. The pulse gave me joy, receiving up from 49 Last Saturday to 69. It is too early to say of Ubiquinol my choice brand of coq10, is doing its job. For, last Monday, I skipped the beta blocker eye drop till after the check to see if it is the culprit behind plummeting of the heart pulse.

    Last Tuesday, I recorded a pulse reading of 60, even after using the eye drop. Time will tell what is going on. This week, I have found myself back on my rockers. Mercy, Chris and Stanley at Laybol Business Centre can testify to it.

  • Healthy eating during pregnancy will guarantee baby’s well-being — Experts

    A dietician, Mr Olusola Malomo, on Thursday advised pregnant women to imbibe the healthy eating habit during pregnancy for proper growth and development of the foetus.


    Malomo, who works at the Massey Children Hospital, Lagos, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that adopting the healthy eating habit at any stage of pregnancy would be beneficial to the mother and the foetus.

    “Adopting a healthy eating plan before pregnancy is the best; a pregnant woman should begin to eat good food so as to keep the mother and baby healthy during pregnancy.
    “A nutritious, well-balanced eating plan can be one of the greatest gifts you can give to your developing baby and it will pave way for easy labour.
    “The food which expectant mothers eat determines the basic nutritional health which her child is born with, and provides a model for eating habits during childhood and thereafter.
    “Try to incorporate vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, lean protein, and other wise food choices into your eating plan before and during pregnancy, to give your baby a strong start in life.
    “The food a woman eats on daily basis during pregnancy will affect how her body works, and how she maintains energy and strength for years to come,’’ he said.

    Malomo said that mothers who do not eat good food during pregnancy place their babies at risk of severe complications such as premature birth and could cause lung and heart problems.
    “Eat protein such as chicken, fish and lean beef. Calcium-based foods are milk, eggs, yoghurt and cabbage. Iron foods are bread, cornmeal, cereals, among others.

    He also advised pregnant women to drink more water and avoid alcoholic beverages.

    Also, a gynaecologist, Mr Oriola Idris, who works with the White Waters Hospital in Ikorodu, said that pregnant women should avoid tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption.
    “Reduce caffeinated beverages from your daily intake, maintain a healthy eating habit throughout your pregnancy and do reasonable exercises, to ease labour and delivery.
    “Always consult your healthcare provider before taking any strange step during pregnancy,’’ Idris added.