The Nation Newspaper

Tag: health

  • Health equipment for exercise

    Exercise can be very strenuous. Mental stress or disaffection plus exercise may not result in better health. Our mental disposition is important for effective exercise.Exercise is something that should be enjoyed to make it most effective. In many gyms round the world, the managers add music or television viewing to accompany exercising. Many aerobics video guides are accompanied by exciting or sweet music.

    Walking and jogging are good and easy ways of exercising. However walking under compulsion because there is no transport may not give a psychic satisfaction and rather may be depressing for some walkers. Walking as a desired exercise is best in streets with sidewalks and clean air. Walking as a necessity can become enjoyable if you listen to music with an ear piece or from a pocket gadget as you go along. More and more streets in developing countries are becoming conducive for walking. Walking is one of the easiest exercises we can do. Walking in the cool air of early morning or late evening can be very satisfying and calorie burning.

    An interesting environment is an incentive for us to walk for a long time. The beach, a park, a shopping mall, or a nice estate, for example, can be good for sight-seeing and we may forget for how long we have been walking. To make it a good physical exercise, the walk should be brisk or fast, not strolling. To make it a mental relaxation or to unwind from the hustle and bustle of life, the stroll is best.

    Your staircase is a useful exercise instrument. Again, going up the stairs under compulsion because the lift is not working does not give the mental satisfaction and overall health derived from taking the stairs by choice.

    Elders in places where elders are highly respected readily send younger ones to do everything for them. The Elder should however not forget to exercise the joints and muscles with those little trips around the house. A short flight of steps is a very useful and safe gym for mild and brief exercises.

    For everyone, if you do not have time to go walking, jogging on the spot at home is a good way of getting mild exercise. Count to a certain number, sing a song, or recite a poem while jogging on the spot. You will be making your lungs push out bad air and freshen up your breath. This is a useful early morning exercise that costs only a few minutes.

    Carrying small weights while jogging on the spot makes the exercise more calorie burning.

    A better exercise to stimulate the cardiovascular system, particularly the heart and blood circulation is using a skipping rope. No, they are not just for kids. They are also for adults who want to remain healthy. For those who live in crammed conditions at home, for those who do not have nice streets to walk or jog on, for those who do not have enough time to go out walking or jogging, jumping rope is an easy exercise solution. A few minutes jumping does not need much space and you end up with fresh breath, a bit of sweat which removes toxic waste from the body, a better functioning heart and circulatory system, and a happier psyche.

    The exercise done should be compatible with any disease condition or any therapy a person is undergoing and should be discussed with one’s health care giver.

    A healthy person can hardly give a cogent excuse for not exercising. Jogging on the spot and skipping rope need very little space and very little time and very little money. From fat dames and pot-belly daddies to lazy kids, these are actually exercises that can give you a lot of fun and laughter, so have fun and keep fit and snap a few photos while you are at it.

    Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

  • FUTO gets health institute

    The Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) has approved the establishment of the Institute of Environmental Health Technology (IEHT) to train manpower in the area of environmental health. The news was made known in a statement after members of the university Senate rose from their 336th meeting last week.

    The mission of the institute, according to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Chigozie Asiabaka, is to strengthen the training and practice of environmental health for efficient service delivery and entrepreneurial skills. “The vision is to improve health, reduce inequalities in health and prolong life expectancy in Nigeria and the ECOWAS region by preventing diseases and minimising their consequences,” he said.

    The institute will also run degree, post-graduate diploma, Master’s and doctorate degree courses in environmental health science as well as offer special undergraduate programme for professional Environmental Health Officers with Higher National Diploma (HND) from West Africa Health Examination Board (WAHEB).

    The institute is the first of its kind in Nigeria and West Africa sub-region, a feat that made students of environmental and public health expressed joy over the establishment of the institute.

    Abubakar Atiku, 500-Level Environmental Health, said: “The institute will surely address the dearth of environmental health practitioners in the country and train manpower in research and evidence-based practice.”

    Happiness Akpulonu, 500-Level student, said her joy knew no bounds at the establishment of the institute. “It will pioneer a new chart for environmental health practice, which has come of age now and ready to push out quacks practicing as environmental and public health experts,” she said.

  • Thousands pray for nation’s health

    Thousands pray for nation’s health

    Thousands of worshippers have prayed for the well-being of the country and its leadership. For President Goodluck Jonathan, ministers and leaders of the tiers across the country, members of Assemblies of God Church sought God’s inspiration and guidance.

    The worshippers, drawn from the Badagry District of the church, converged for this year’s Solemn Assembly session in Okokomaiko on the outskirts of Lagos.

    Rev J. N. Ojukwu, who led the prayers, stressed the point that Nigerians, especially Christians, should pray for their leaders, for “God to control their hearts”. He also sought intercession for the police, urging everyone not to make a habit of criticising the law enforcement agents.

    “They need our prayers,” Ojukwu enjoined.

    The worshippers prayed for divine guidance so that leaders will take the right decisions that will bring relief to the people.

    They also prayed for peace, asking God to intervene against “ritual murderers” and forces of violence.

    Rev Henry Ogbonnaya, pioneer superintendent of the district, reminded Christians of Prophet Elijah’s labours. In his message entitled “A time of refreshing”, Ogbonnaya said Elijah worked hard to reconcile idolatrous Israel with their God.

    The Badagry District Superintendent urged Christians to toe the prophet’s line, saying they will also be refreshed, just as Elijah was.

  • Why Senate revisited National Health Bill

    A Senator has explained the rationale behind the resuscitation of the National Health Bill (NHB).

    Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, Chairman, Senate Committee on Health, said the bill was revived to establish a regulatory framework for the sector.

    The bill, though passed by the Sixth National Assembly, was, however, not signed into law.

    Okowa, who represents Delta North Senatorial District told The Nation that it was necessary to build what would guarantee adherence to professional and ethical norms.

    “The importance of what we are doing lies in the fact that it sets out the legal framework for the regulation, development and management of healthcare in Nigeria. As at today, we don’t have the basic or foundation laws that guide the health industry. It is just guided by policies that do not have the effect of law. We have some specific legislation like National Agency for Food, Drug, Administration and Control, National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and others that guide health institutions. But the background laws that should guide some norms in the health industry are not there.

    “As at today, there are some things that are unethical and which, if they are done, you can’t really punish anybody for because it has no legal check against it. For instance, we need to regulate the usage of human tissue and we also need to have a law on how the healthy industry should be organised and how the various hospitals should inter-relate with each other and also how various tiers of government can inter-relate with one another. Somebody can just abuse the removal of tissue from a living person because there is no law.

    “There was a report of a so called medical doctor who allegedly removed the two kidneys of an individual. This is an obvious case of an unethical practice but you won’t be able to prosecute him under any law because we don’t have that foundation. So, we hope that we would be able to quickly get this through”.

    The University of Ibadan (UI), trained medical doctor said the law also seeks to guarantee the financing of primary health care. According to him, there is the need to establish a Primary Healthcare Development Fund.

    “We are aware that healthcare delivery in the country is facing the challenge of funding. We know that primary healthcare is more important because it takes care of at least 80 percent of the health burden of this nation,” he added.

    Once financing at that level is guaranteed, we would be moving faster in our development of the health sector. Through it, we will be able to address the issue of under-five mortality rate, maternal mortality rate and the general welfare of our women and children, this is an area where we are not doing well at the moment.”

    Okowa described as unfortunate the latest fad of flying abroad for medical attention for the least ailment that can be treated in Nigeria. He decried the attitude because it erodes confidence in the health industry.

    “It is unfortunate. It is a process that is now being abused because every person, for even the least ailment, wants to go abroad. There is no doubt that we have some limitations within our healthcare system.

     

    But I still do know that we have some specialists who are well equipped to manage a lot of ailment and there are hospitals with enough equipment to attend to the need of our people. But the trend now is that people with fractured bone, instead of accessing our orthopaedic institutions where there are consultants orthopaedic surgeons, would prefer to be flown abroad. The implication is not just capital flight but a loss of confidence in the health industry. If there is need to go abroad, it must follow protocol in which case a referral is done by a competent consultant,” he said.

    He assured that the bill will succeed at the Senate in the first quarter of this year. “We have been able to look into the bill holistically, and, we have made some revisions in it. It has gone through the First Reading, it was also unanimously supported during the Second Reading, and it has now come to the Committee Stage. We are hoping that towards the end of the month or early February, we should have the public hearing and within that month return it for the Third Reading after which it would go to the House of Representatives for concurrence.”

     

  • Health equipment you should have at home:Blood pressure monitors

    Health equipment you should have at home:Blood pressure monitors

    The sphygmomanometer is used to measure (arterial) blood pressure (BP). The word comes from the Greeksphygmós (pulse) and manometer (pressure meter). The device was invented by Samuel Siegfried Karl Ritter von Basch in 1881.Blood pressure is expressed in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) because of the original method by the manual sphygmomanometer that uses a mercury column. Blood pressure readings are given as two numbers such as 120/80 mm Hg indicating systolic and diastolic pressures. Systolic pressureis the blood pressure when the ventricles (lower chambers) of the heart are contracting and pushing blood to the various parts of the body. The diastolic pressureis the pressure in between contractions when the ventricles are relaxed. Several measurements should be taken to be sure of the accuracy of your measurement. Normal systolic pressure is less than 120 mm Hg and normal diastolic pressure is less than 80 mm Hg by traditional and high-accuracy clinical sphygs using a mercury column. Digital sphygs give normal values of 135/85 mm Hg. Hypertension is a systolic blood pressure that is greater than 140 mm Hg and a diastolic blood pressure that is greater than 90 mm Hg.

    There are different types of sphygs but the convenient one for home and layman use is the digital or electronic sphyg. There are battery-operated digital models as well as models that can be plugged into an electric socket. Sphygs are sold at pharmacies and supermarkets for the equivalent of about $30 USD and upwards. These home blood pressure monitors are simple to use and you do not need a sthethoscope like some clinical sphygs (mercury sphyg) require. The clinical sphyg is used by an expert who listens to heart sounds through a stethoscope (auscultation) and records corresponding pressures by the mercury manometer. Digital home sphygmomanometers work by measuring the mean arterial pressure electronically (oscillometrically) and computing the systolic and diastolic measurements.

    Digital sphygsmay use a cuff placed around the upper arm, the wrist, or a finger at about the same vertical height as the heart while the subject is seated with the arm supported.The digital sphyg is best used for routine BP monitoring especially by healthy midlifers and elders. Patients with some diseases such as arteriosclerosis; arrhythmia; preeclampsia; pulsusalternans; and pulsusparadoxus will not get accurate measurements with a home sphyg. Whether for the arm, wrist, or finger, the cuff size is important. If the cuff is too small, a higher pressure is recorded and if the cuff is too large a lower pressure is recorded. If the blood pressure is about 10 mmHg different between the left and right arms, the subject may have coarctation of the aortaand the doctor can discuss this with the subject.

    Each digital sphyg unit consists of an arm cuff and a small meter. I did a brief “window shopping” for readers on the Internet to see how easy it is to get these products. If you do not have one at home and want to purchase one, you can also look out for them at your local pharmacists, supermarkets, and gift stores and see if the prices and qualities are comparable. Always look for a professional organization’s sanction or approval label or some official backing or stamp on any medical equipment that you buy so that you know it is reliable and worth your money and trust. Some of the ones I saw were at the online mart Aliexpress and Walgreens Pharmacy (online). Aliexpress has a collection of affordable models and Walgreens has more variety and some more sophisticated and more expensive models. The Chinese manufacturers have made consumer products easy and accessible and it is possible for everyone to be able to get a good enough sphyg at an affordable price.Some of the models available are as follows. At Aliexpress the Digital Wrist/arm/cuff Blood Pressure Monitor Heart Beat Meter Sphygmomanometer (simply the sphyg) costs about $11. Various models cost more (up to $150). They are easy to operate by sitting in the recommended position, wrapping the cuff around your arm, andpressing the start button to start measuring. The specifications of the model include: storage of measurements, single or all measures (systole and diastole pressures, and heart rate); 3 minutes automatic power saving device; and high-accuracy.

    The OMRON two user mode tracks readings separately for two persons, detects irregular heartbeats, and the cuff fits 9-17 inch arm circumferences. It is compatible with Microsoft HealthVault and allows you to connect the unit to your computer using the included USB cable to log, track and share your readings online (for example with your doctor). Amongst other features, it has TruRead which automatically takes 3 consecutive readings one minute apart and displays the average, following internationally recognized guidelines. It also has AM/PM averaging which means that with a touch of a button you can review an eight week history of your weekly morning and evening blood pressure averages. It has irregular heartbeat detector that can alert you to irregular heartbeats while your blood pressure is being measured. It claims to be clinically proven as accurate and the #1 doctor recommended brand. It comes with 1 AC adapter, 1 USB cable, and 4 AA batteries.

    Whether you are at home, travelling, or in a foreign environment, you can track your blood pressure conveniently from your arm, from your wrist, or from your finger. This is important for travelers. Often, the air, the food, the pollution, and other factors in a new environment can drastically affect your blood pressure and these simple devices allow us to avert health disasters.

     

    Dr. ’Bola John is a biomedical scientist based in Nigeria and in the USA. For any comments or questions on this column, please Email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 07028338910

  • Health in interest of the public

     

    Conclusion of text of the Inaugural Lecture delivered by the Provost, College of Medicine, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Prof Olumuyiwa Odusanya, at the college.

    • Continued from last week Thursday

    Universal health coverage

    Universal Health Coverage (UHC) refers to a system in which everyone in a society can get health-care services they need without incurring financial hardship. The concept implies that each one is able to get required health service when needed without suffering or having to sell personal belongings. Equity of access to health services of all types is key to a universal health coverage policy. The current Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Margaret Chan asserts that universal health coverage is “the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer”.

    The three dimensions of universal health coverage are the proportion or types of persons in a population enrolled, the services available and what proportion of costs are covered. Health issues, especially emergencies, do not give advance warning yet they must be attended to.

    In this audience, if any of the well-to-do persons has a son requiring appendectomy in the middle of the night, where will she/he readily find the money to pay or buy required drugs without cash at home, especially in this era of cashless policy? Would not it be easier if the person has prepaid insurance or other forms of advance payments in order to readily access the required services? May I ask: how many of us here have a health insurance?

    The inability of having a ready source of payment often delays presentation to hospital or delays payment for services and hinders timely interventions among the poor. Evidence suggests that broader health coverage generally leads to better access to health and improved population health, particularly for poor people. The relationship between prepaid health financing, health coverage and health outcomes is shown in Figure 10.

    Figure 10. Causal pathway between pooled prepaid health financing, health coverage and outcomes.

    At the heart of UHC is health financing. The funds may be raised from a variety of sources; direct and indirect taxes, social insurance and community funds. Available funds must be raised and pooled in a way that allows cross-subsidization across the income groups and financial risks of illness to be shared between the sick and the healthy. In the absence of universal health coverage, the various forms of paying for health include out of pocket payment and selling of property. A review of coping strategies for health care services in 15 African countries revealed that borrowing and selling of assets ranged from 23% of households in Zambia to 68% in Burkina Faso, and that the highest income groups were less likely to borrow.81 Selling of assets and borrowing were more profound for households with higher inpatient expenses than those with outpatient care or outpatient medical expenses. Payment of user fees is often a critical obstacle to access to health care.

    Sixty-nine (69%) percent of government employees in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State relied on out-of-pocket payment to pay for health services, 28% claimed to use the Nigerian Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and 2.6% borrowed money.82 The use of out-of-pocket mechanism was associated with difficulty in accessing quality health care services and most of the employees resorted to self medication, delayed seeking health care, patronized herbalists or ignored the illness.82 The state of health of such a population can be best imagined.

    Another group of researchers from the same area found that the poorest households were more likely to utilize informal care providers such as traditional healers, whereas the higher socio-economic groups used out of pocket payments. Decreasing socio-economic status was associated with sale of livelihood assets while exemptions and subsidies were non-existent.83 in many countries, removing or reducing user fees was found to increase the utilization of curative services and perhaps preventive services as well but may have negatively impacted service quality.

    The Nigeria Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)

    The NHIS was launched on 6th June, 2005 and commenced services in September 2005. It is a voluntary insurance scheme and has focused on the formal sector. It covers mainly employees of the Federal Government and only a few states Enugu and Cross River States have enrolled. The contributions are earnings-related, fixed currently at 15% of basic salary. The employer pays 10% while the employee contributes 5% of basic salary.

    Health benefits under the NHIS include out-patient care, prescribed drugs in the NHIS essential drug list, antenatal, postnatal and maternity care for up to four (4) live births for every insured woman to mention a few. The scheme does not cover special treatments including occupational injuries. The system works through appointment of health maintenance organizations (HMOs) who receive capitation fees, and health care providers who receive fee for service from the HMOs.

    One of the major challenges faced by the NHIS is the low coverage; thus, it has not been the path to UHC for Nigeria. In addition, other problems include conflict of interests about financial payment among the many stakeholders, long waiting period to access service, bureaucracy, antagonism of labour unions and the voluntary nature of the scheme with workers in many states and private sector not enrolling. The impact of the NHIS will improve if it expands its scope to cater for the informal sector (being piloted in a few places), facilitates integration of the private sector as well as aggressive advocacy and education of the populace.

    Achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC)

    There is no one common pathway to achieving UHC. The trajectory towards UHC has three common features; a political process driven by a variety of social forces to create public programmes or regulations that expand access to care, improve equity and pool financial risk; growth in incomes and a concomitant rise in health spending which buys more health services for more people; and an increase in the share of health spending that is pooled rather than paid out-of pocket by households.86 All countries that have achieved universal health coverage have done so with extensive government involvement (policy) in the financing, regulation and sometimes direct provision of health services.87 The key health financing options at different stages of the evolution of UHC is shown in Figure 11.

    The political will to exercise stewardship for UHC must exist. A decision must be made on the type of health insurance whether it would be tax-based or social health insurance. There is also the place of external funding at least at the initial phase. A systematic review of the impact of health insurance in Africa and Asia showed that community-based health insurance and social health insurance improved service utilization, protected members financially by reducing their out-of-pocket expenditure but weakly impacted on quality of care and social inclusion. A study from southeast Nigeria revealed that respondents in rural areas and those in the lower socio-economic classes wanted comprehensive benefits from community based health insurance whereas those in urban areas and the richer showed a preference for basic disease control interventions.89

    The structure of health financing in nine developing countries. In most of them risk pooling is through multiple sources and service delivery is through a variety of sources. The dimensions of UHC in those countries is high. The coverage in Nigeria remains low. Whatever the form of payment, mechanisms for exemption and subsidies must be put in place to protect the poor.

    In Ghana, South Africa and Tanzania, health-care financing was progressive (groups with higher income contributed a higher percentage of income) but the overall distribution of service benefits favoured richer people more than the lower-income groups suggesting the need for equity.

    THE=total health expenditure, NHIS=National Health Insurance Scheme, BPJS=Badan Penyelenggara Jaminan Sosial (Social Security Administrative Body). PhilHealth=Philippine Health Insurance Corporation. Mutuelles=Community-Based Health-Insurance Schemes. RAMA= La Rwandaise d’Assurance Maladie (Rwanda Health Insurance Scheme). MMI=Military Medical Insurance. VSS=Vietnam Social Security. RSBY=Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojna (National Health Insurance Programme). NHIF=National Hospita l Insurance Fund. RAMED=Regime d’Assistance Medicale (Non-Contribution Medical Assistance System). AMO=Assurance Maladie Obligatoir (Mandatory Health Insurance). *Data retrieved from World Bank world development indicators database. †Data retrieved from WHO global health expenditure database. ‡Legislation to create the programmes in Indonesia and Mali has recently been passed and implementation is at an early stage.

    Private sector health provision for public financing may be thought of as the best way to achieving universal health coverage. However, there are some caveats to be noted: the issues of profit, the orientation of services for the middle class and the challenge of providing services that show benefit only if large enough proportions of the community are covered e.g. immunization. Undoubtedly, the private sector has a role to play in achieving UHC.

    Evidence suggests that increases in funding especially through donor aid, has helped to reduce mortality from malaria, maternal mortality and child mortality, especially in developing countries. Political commitment through sustainable public funding is the preferred option. It is argued that addition to aid for health could bring the world to universal coverage whereas cuts in aid at the present time could undo the great progress of the past decade. “Universal coverage for health” is within our reach if we persist.

    Conclusion

    Public health medicine and public health actions hold the key to improving the complete physical, mental and social well being of individuals, communities and nations. Health actions and services should be customer (public) focused. Key areas for action include social determinants of health, immunization, quality of health services, rational use of drugs and universal health coverage.

    The way forward to improving the health of the public

    If indeed the health of the public would improve, a paradigm shift is inevitable. The health system and services must stop to focus on themselves but make the public the centre of all its activities. There is the need to actively engage the community through community participation. The health workers must become advocates of healthy public policy and put the health agenda on the front burner of government decisions. There is the need to increase awareness on the social determinants of health and adoption of healthy behaviours by the community. We all need to advocate better funding for education.

    Immunization coverage must be vigorously sustained, especially to ensure that poliomyelitis is eradicated from Nigeria. Government funding for immunization must increase, routine immunization services strengthened and complimentary control measures e.g. improved sanitation need to be aggressively pursued.

    The health system in the country should be strengthened especially with regards to quality of service. Rational use of drugs remains a challenge but continuous training holds the best promise of improving drug use. The issue of universal health coverage must be properly addressed. Perhaps, now is the time for Nigeria to move into some form of compulsory insurance. Universal health coverage is one of the most important determinants of health status. The present coverage of the National Health Insurance Scheme cannot lead to improvement in the health indices of the Nigerian public.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Health sector: What to watch for in 2013

    Health sector: What to watch for in 2013

    THE health sector like every other sector had its ups and downs. At the beginning of the year Lagos became the focal point when doctors in the state demanded for pay rise. There was deadlock in the talks and doctors went on indefinite strike. Healthcare in the state grinded almost to a halt and the state government sacked about 800 doctors, claiming that the strike was illegal.

    Their properties were also thrown out of residence and all hell was let loose. The crisis deepened and the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) mobilised members across the country to embark on a nationwide sympathy strike. A lot of patients in public hospitals had to be relocated to private hospitals by family and loved ones while the government made use of student doctors as a last resort. Gradually the imbroglio was resolved and the doctors were reinstated once more.

    Cholera, typhoid, malaria, tuberculosis and HIV and AIDs affected lives at the states, local government areas and some homes. On the international scene an alarm was raised on a worrisome increase in tuberculosis all over the world and the fact that it was resisting the drugs that were meant to combat the disease.

    Polio and some of the other childhood diseases also claimed some lives. Nigeria was unable to eradicate wild polio, which health experts say, place Nigeria alongside Pakistan at the very center of countries frustrating global eradication of the disease.

    The United States of America was quoted recently to have demanded that from June 2013, Nigerians travelling to the United States must be vaccinated against wild polio. Sadly, global health experts believe that health-related millennium Development Goals (MDG’s), especially those concerning infant and maternal health have already been declared unattainable by 2015 in Nigeria. This is because of the near collapse state of public health care.

     

    President Ebele Goodluck Jonathan also showed a keen interest in maternal health. The president made a pledge to commit $33.4 million over the next four years to procure medicines and commodities in order to prevent at least a million deaths of women and children by the year 2015.

    For many, it is indeed a relief if the resources would be channeled positively for those targeted. The pledged was made while launching the ‘Save one Million Lives’ programme in the Presidential Villa. The activities were in line with the United Nations report which listed 13 commodities that could save some sixteen million lives. According to President Jonathan, the country has been able to address diseases that account for over 50 per cent of child mortality in the country.

    Laboratory medicine is by no means at its summit. Progress, however, has been faster for laboratory services specialising in certain diseases, particularly those associated with vertical programs with strong advocacy like HIV, TB and malaria. Appropriate diagnosis will improve our ability to prevent and control.

    These unbridled quests for foreign medical services by political elite are some of the reasons why the health sector is not improving or moving the way experts expect it to do. The Senate President David Mark also joined the growing list of political elite who embark on exotic medical tourism when he travelled to Israel ostensibly on public expenses to take care of his medical condition.

    The Taraba State governor, Mr. Danfulai Suntai, a Pharmacist, who had accident while flying his private Jet was flown abroad to Germany for treatment. His wife was heavily pregnant even delivered twins in the same German hospital.Judges of Superior Courts also regularly embark on medical tourism abroad during vacation from the legal year.

    As we move into year 2013, it is hoped that there will be more funds allocated to the sector as well as proper incentives for health personnel who will in turn provide better health care services.

  • Health workers’ protest is politically-motivated, says NMA

    The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) yesterday said last week’s protest by the health workers under the umbrella of the Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) against the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health was politically-motivated.

    The health workers, who protested from the Federal Secretariat to the National Assembly, demanded the sack of the Health Minister, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, among others.

    The protesters, who alleged that the minister was biased by supporting doctors against other health workers, raised the alarm on some provisions of the National Health Bill currently before the National Assembly, which they said were projected to favour doctors.

    Addressing reporters in Abuja yesterday after the meeting of the NMA National Executive Council (NEC), the association President, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, said the health workers are being used to scuttle the passage of the bill.

    Passing a vote of confidence in the Health Minister and his leadership, the group urged the National Assembly not to be distracted, adding that it should give the National Health Bill to Nigerians in line with the international best practice.

    Dr. Enabulele said: “NEC observed with great dismay the recent reckless, selfish and ill-motivated protest march against the Minister of Health, Prof. Chukwu, by a handful of allied medical and health professionals/workers. NEC viewed the politically- motivated protest as an act of desperation and blackmail to undermine the resolve of the Minister of Health to transform Nigeria’s health care sector through the institutionalisation of professionalism and international best practices.

    “NEC also noted that the protest march was an attempt to scuttle the passage of the National Health Bill (NHB) through acts of intimidation and blackmail of the National Assembly that has refused to politicise the National Health Bill by not accommodating their inordinate, illogical, irrational and unrealisable territorial quest.

    “We appeal to Nigerians to use their good sense of judgment to determine if the selfish protection of professional territorial interests outweighs the benefits of a National Health Act that will deliver healthcare dividends to Nigerians in rural communities, children, women, the elderly and other Nigerians.

    “If traders, religious organisations, international community and other stakeholders marched, advised and celebrated the earlier passage of the National Health Bill, then there must be something good in the Bill.”

    He went on: “On account of the transparent commitment of Prof. Chukwu and the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Mohammed Ali Pate, to transform Nigeria’s healthcare system (as evidenced by the Award of Excellence earlier given to the Minister of Health by this same group of protesting allied medical and health workers, the National Executive Council has restated its confidence in the abilities and professional capacities of the Minister of Health and Minister of State for Health.”

    On the National Health Bill, Dr. Enabulele said: “NEC has restated its belief in the current NHB as a veritable tool for transforming the health care system in Nigeria, and therefore considers as unpatriotic any attempt to scuttle its passage into law under the guise of self-preservation and professional territorialism.

    “NEC therefore supports the recent pronouncement of the Senate President David Mark that ‘irrespective of the disagreements within the health sector, the National Assembly is committed to the passage of the National Health Bill.”’

    The group opposed the introduction of taxes, which healthcare workers were earlier exempted from.

    While enjoining President Goodluck Jonathan to constitute the Governing Council/Board of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), NMA suspended a member, Dr. A.A.G. Jimoh, over allegations of inappropriate handling of their infertility cases by some of his patients.

    On the detention of Dr. Mari Abba, he said: “The Nigerian Medical Association expresses dismay over the continued detention (for over 49 days) of one of our members, the Yobe State NMA branch Secretary and Consultant to the World Health Organisation, Dr. Abba, by the security agencies in Yobe State over scurrilous allegation of being in possession of firearms.”

     

     

  • Health Bill: Tuc seeks public hearing

    The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) rose from its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the weekend in Lagos, seeking public hearing for the National Health Insurance Bill.

    The meeting chaired by the Congress President, Comrade Peter Esele, frowned at the National Health Bill, which it claimed, does not accommodate the interest of many Nigerians. It, therefore, demanded an invitation to a Public Hearing for TUC’s input in “making the Bill a better gift to Nigerians.”

    In a six-point communique signed by Esele and Acting Secretary-General, Musa Lawal, the NEC also frowned at the growing rate of kidnapping, bombings and robberies on banks, general workers and citizens and called on the government to intensify its effort in arresting the menace.

    On infrastructure development, TUC condemned the continued deterioration of roads despite the huge funds being expended them, and called on the government to improve on them.

    On power, the meeting commended the Federal Government on the negotiation with the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN). The body implores the Federal Government to implement fully the terms of the Agreement and deliver to the citizenry the promise of 24-hour uninterrupted electricity power supply to the nation.

    The association endorsed the industrial action in Plateau in the struggle for workers emancipation due to the non-compliance with minimum wage Act.

    But it condemned “the religious colouration being introduced by some religious bodies in the investigation being carried out by the military in the bombing of the military barracks in jaji by suspected fundamentalists.

    “The military should be allowed to carry out both its internal and external statutory investigations so that the issues can be properly addressed in the collective interest of Nigerians,” he asid.

    The NEC okayed the retirement of its Secretary-General, Comrade John Kolawole. He has been replaced by Mr Lawal, the Deputy Secretary General.

     

  • 19 US states reject new health insurance market

    Nineteen states have turned down the Obama administration’s invitation to run the new health insurance markets that will begin serving millions of uninsured Americans less than a year from now. That puts a huge task on the feds, a defining challenge for President Barack Obama’s second term.

    Friday is decision day for states to notify Washington if they will set up their own insurance exchanges under the federal health care law. Monitoring by The Associated Press finds a divided nation moving ahead, despite the misgivings of some state officials. Half the states now say they will participate in some way.

    Still, drafters of the law did not anticipate that so many states would remain on the sidelines at this late stage. Federal control of the new state markets where individuals, families and small businesses will shop for taxpayer-subsidised private coverage was seen as a failsafe, not the standard for nearly half the country. Critics predict delays.

    All of the states refusing are led by Republicans.

    On the other side of the ledger, 17 states and Washington, D.C., say they want to set up and run their own markets. The administration has already started granting approvals. Eight other states have indicated they want to pursue a partnership with Washington, and more may do so. Only six remain undecided.

    Exchanges are the gateway to the new health care law for individuals and families who buy their own health insurance, as well as for small businesses.

    Currently, it’s hard to tell what’s a good plan or a fair price. You can get turned down if you have a medical problem, charged more if you are older or a woman. The health care law forbids insurers from turning away the sick, limits what they can charge older people and bans gender-based surcharges. It also requires virtually all Americans to get coverage or face fines.

    Exchanges are supposed to make picking health insurance like buying an airline ticket from an online travel site like Orbitz or Expedia.

    There will be a website, and you’ll be able to put in your ZIP code and get a list of available health plans. There will be a section where you can find out if you qualify for subsidies, or for Medicaid. There will be cost calculators to allow you to compare different levels of coverage: platinum, gold, silver and bronze. There will be tools that allow you to see if your doctor or hospital is with a particular plan.

    Middle-class consumers will be able to find out if they are eligible for government help with their premiums for private insurance. Initially, nearly nine of every 10 taking part will get assistance.

    Low-income people can use the exchanges to find out whether they are eligible for expanded Medicaid coverage under the law. In addition to deciding how to implement exchanges, states must also decide whether to accept the Medicaid expansion. There’s no deadline set for that decision, and most are still weighing options.

    Open enrolment for exchange plans starts next October 1, and coverage begins January 1, 2014. Initially about 10 million people are expected to sign up, growing rapidly thereafter. California, New York and Kentucky are among the states that have opted to create their own exchanges. Among those passing are Texas, Georgia and Kansas. Partnership states include Illinois and West Virginia.

    Republican governors rejecting state exchanges have cited a variety of reasons. Some say the administration has not provided enough information. Others say there’s too much federal regulation. Most have concerns about costs. But some Republican leaders have broken ranks, including governors in Idaho, Nevada and New Mexico, and the insurance commissioner in Mississippi.

    In announcing his support for a state exchange this week, Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter said, “it would be irresponsible of me to simply abandon the field to federal bureaucrats. In the face of uncertainty we must assert our independence and our commitment to self-determination, while fulfilling our responsibility to the rule of law.”

    Indeed, exchanges have a Republican pedigree. The idea was pioneered in Massachusetts under then-Governor Mitt Romney’s health care overhaul.

    “All this is full of irony,” said consultant Jon Kingsdale, who founded the Massachusetts exchange for Romney. “If you had asked many of those (Republican) governors four years ago before this got politicized, it would have been a no-brainer: `We want the states to do it.’”

    The health care law increased the power of the federal government, but states that run their own exchanges retain important roles overseeing insurance plans, addressing consumer issues and coordinating between the new marketplace and their Medicaid plans. That last item may be the most important, since Medicaid is a major component of state budgets.