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Tag: Lagos State University College of Medicine

  • Emergency Preparedness: Waste management

    Emergency Preparedness: Waste management

    We have discussed the simple bucket toilet.  Now we look at variations of this concept.  The Twin Bucket Emergency Toilet system (a two bucket system), was used in New Zealand after an earthquake destroyed infrastructure in 2011.  One bucket is used as a urinal for depositing only urine and the other bucket is used for defaecation.  While faeces give odour immediately, odour develops from urine over time due to both chemical changes and bacteria action.  To slow down the development of odour from urine, sprinkle a level teaspoon of detergent on it after urination (or add some drops of liquid soap).  In addition, a few drops of disinfectant, bleach, or a sprinkling of scouring powder added immediately after urination can help to neutralize bacteria action and prevent foul smell.  In the absence of any of these, try salt or any other substance just to make the urine different and deter bacteria that like to grow in it.  Urinals should not be filled up and should be emptied as frequently as possible.

    Compost is decayed material from plants and other biologic matter. The composting toilet allows faeces to be naturally digested by bacteria and is used when there is lack of water and electricity and lack of plastic bags or other resources. Carbon additives such as sawdust, coconut coir, or peat moss added after each defaecation create air pockets in the excreta, improve the composting and reduce the odour.  However such arrangement must be contained and blocked from flies, cockroaches, rats, and other vectors of disease.

    The Tote-Able Toilet is a manufactured product following the principle of composting waste. It is useful for travellers and for conditions emanating from infrastructural damage to buildings.  It is a  6-gallon  volume bucket and it is supplied with  enzyme packets. It costs about $15 in the USA.  The bucket is covered by a detachable manufactured seat with a rubber gasket that prevents any odour from emanating from the toilet into the room.  The enzyme pack “Enzyme 300” is a mixture of real microorganisms that have affinity for faeces and feed on it and some enzymes that degrade the faeces. According to the manufacturers, “enzyme 300” cleans, maintains, and deodorizes.  It contains 300 million organisms per gram of facultative bacteria, anaerobic bacteria, and aerobic bacteria and also utilizes 4 enzyme systems and microbial nutrients. The enzymes are: amylase for starch and carbohydrate digestion; cellulose for cellulose digestion and this includes digestion of toilet paper and feminine sanitary towels; lipase for fat digestion; and protease for protein digestion.  According to the manufacturer, it “contains the necessary septic enzyme systems for accomplishing the digestion of proteins, fats, starches, carbohydrates and cellulose”.  Only a small amount of enzyme is needed to add to the waste for action to begin.  When using a bucket as  a composting toilet, do not add soap, disinfectant, bleach, scouring powder or any chemical to the faeces as these can kill the friendly bacteria being utilized for composting.

    Enzyme 300 can also be used in sewage treatment plants, lagoons, open ground gutters, and for treatment of septic tanks, cesspools, drains, and grease traps. It is non-caustic, non-corrosive, and non-toxic and does not react with metals or porcelain of plumbing fittings.

    The manufacturers also produce the Double Doodie Plus™ bags which “are designed to capture and hold waste for easy disposal in an emergency. Double Doodie bags have an inner waste bag and an outer sealable leak-proof carry bag. Included Bio-Gel™ solidifies waste and reduces odour.” The new product is larger than the original Double Doodie bags to fit in a household toilet in an emergency. They also work well with most portable toilets, including the Tote-able Toilet.

    In summary, we should avoid open defaecation.  By natural or artificial means, we can always contain faecal waste and prevent transfer of disease by vectors from waste to humans.

     

    Dr. Theresa Adebola John is a lecturer at Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) and an affiliated researcher at the College of Medicine, University of Tennessee, Memphis. For any comments or questions on this column, please email bolajohnwritings@yahoo.com or call 08160944635

  • Travails of a provost

    Travails of a provost

    The Lagos State University (LASU) has suspended the Provost of its College of Medicine (LASUCOM), Prof Babatunde Solagberu, for three months, pending the investigation into allegations against him.  His colleageues say he may have brought it on himself, reports ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA.

    In the next three months, Prof Babatunde Solagberu may have to defend himself against allegations of misconducts that resulted in his suspension from office as Provost of the Lagos State University College of Medicine (LASUCOM) with effect from last Thursday.

    The Lagos State University (LASU) in its  December 4 bulletin barred Solagberu from carrying out the functions of Provost or as member of staff of LASUCOM during the suspension.  He cannot also step on the premises except if permitted by the Registrar.

    The Deputy Provost, Prof Anthonia Ogbera, is to act as provost until Solagberu’s case is decided.

    Solagberu’s alleged’disrespect’ for authority may have set him on collision course with some of his colleagues as well as the university authority.

    “Solagberu acts as if he knows it all,” said a source.

    “He (Solagberu) was running the college as if it was autonomous without recourse to the vice chancellor (VC). All entreaties to make him change his mind never yielded fruits.”

    “This is a man who writes and talks too much and recklessly too and implicates himself in the process. He only finds faults in others but sees himself as above board. Though young, he talks with pride and even insults professors far older than him.”

    Sources said following allegations of misconduct the management requested to look into LASUCOM’s books but Solagberu rebuffed the move.

    Things got to a head when Solagberu reportedly shunned the VC, Prof Olanrewaju Fagbohun’s directive that the college be audited.  Solagberu allegedly wrote back to the management, saying LASUCOM was autonomous, adding that the VC lacked such powers.

    The audit was eventually carried out.

    Before that, Solagberu had disallowed LASU from what it called “interfering in LASUCOM’s affairs.”

    A member of staff, who does not want to be named, said the issue involved a lecturer Solagberu tried to discipline for alleged disrespect and poor work ethics.  The university management wrote to stop the investigation but Solagberu allegedly replied that it had no right whatsoever to intervene.

    The source said: “The woman in question is one of our young but most brilliant lecturers in LASUCOM.

    “When this woman realised that the committee comprised some of the provost’s cronies and therefore she might not get justice, she cried out and that was how LASU management got wind of the matter and directed the panel investigating to stop work and transfer the matter to the management. But Solagberu stated categorically that management legally had no mandate to direct the stoppage. The panel was then allowed to conclude the investigation before sending the report to the management.”

    On Solagberu’s alleged arrogance, another source said: “There was a time he came to the council meeting and announced before everybody that he wanted to report his boss (VC) to the Council chairman.

    “The chairman of council then asked him if he had intimated the VC prior to the meeting and he said no. The chairman then put his foot down that Solagberu could not raise such issues on the floor of the Council. That was where the whole matter ended.”

    Some non-teaching staff in LASUCOM said they saw their boss’ ordeal coming.

    The sources noted that Solagberu was only behaving like some of his predecessors who ran the institution without recourse to the VC who by the edict setting up LASU, should superintend everything.

    When asked to comment on the matter, the university’s Acting Public Relations Office, Mr Adekoya Martin, said the bulletin containing the interdiction had not yet been “officially approved” by management.

    He said allegations in the public domain, were still speculations.

    While not denying the information in the bulletin, Adekoya said the university management was already investigating to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the allegations.

    “The information (on the bulletin) was actually from the university; but it has not yet been approved before it got into the public domain.

    “We suspected that an insider who saw the bulletin actually leaked it to the media.

    “As at now, whatever anybody is saying about the allegations are mere speculations. The university has already commenced investigation on the matter, and shall make its decision open at the appropriate time.”

    The Governing Council Chairman, Prof Adebayo Ninalowo, told The Nation on phone he would not comment on the matter.

    “Everything in respect of this issue, call the Information Unit,” he said.

    Efforts to reach Solagberu proved abortive as his phone  was switched off.

     

  • Religious activities can help stabilise people with mental conditions — Psychiatrist

    Religious activities can help stabilise people with mental conditions, a Consultant Psychiatrist, Prof. Olatunji Aina, has said.

    Aina said this on Friday in Lagos while addressing participants at the Annual Conference of the Association of Resident Doctors (ARD), Federal Neuro-Psychiatric Hospital (FNPH), Yaba.

    The theme of the conference was: `Religion and Mental Illness`.

    Aina, who lectures at the College of Medicine, University of Lagos, said: “The mentally ill most times use religion to cope with their distress.

    “Also, religious activities including prayers, fasting, church and mosque attendance, spirituality, are known to attenuate psychiatric symptoms, discourage suicide and even heal physical illnesses.“

    The consultant said, however, that many fake religious leaders in the past and in recent times used religion in ways that were injurious to people’s mental health and lives generally.

    According to him, such religious leaders tend to pursue material things at the expense of the welfare of members.

    “These fake leaders make frightening prophecies and cause disharmony in the family and so many families have been scattered as a result.

    “Also, some illiterate religious leaders teach false doctrines.

    “For example, (some of them can tell you that) mental illness is as a result of sin.

    “Most of these religious leaders are charlatans and criminals, that is, wolves in sheep clothing.

    “These are some of the disadvantages of religion to mental health in Nigeria,“ Aina said.

    Also speaking, another Consultant Psychiatrist, Dr Bolanle Ola, urged psychiatrists to be sensitive to the needs and concerns of patients.

    He also underscored the need for psychiatrists to taking cognisance of patients’ religious beliefs in addressing their plights.

    Ola, a lecturer at the Lagos State University College of Medicine, Ikeja, said psychiatrists were trained to use techniques that would help patients achieve optimal performance.

    “If your patient believes in God and if that belief will help him realise his potentials, definitely, we need to assist, because what we practice is patient-centred care.

    “As a psychiatrist, you know that in taking some aspects of the patient’s religion into consideration, you can increase his or her quality of life,“ he said.

    He said it was inappropriate for religious institutions to house sick people.

    According to him, sick people are taken care of at the hospital.

    “Religious institutions may not be the best place for some people with mental health problems because we also realise that mental illness can co-exist with a lot of physical health problems.

    “The religious leaders do not have the training to be able to cope with this and do not know that there is increased the risk of death for the individual,“ Ola added.

    In his remarks, the President, ARD, FNPH, Dr Kenneth Uwajeh, said the theme was chosen based on the fact that experiences were associated with religious practices in Nigeria.

    Uwajeh said: “Also, some people believe that mental illnesses are due to spiritual causes.

    “Yes, there is a relationship, but we want to dispel the opinion that it must be exclusively spiritually inclined.

    “We want to bring information to people, make them know that despite hearing voices or other spiritual experiences, there are treatments that are scientifically proven and therapeutically effective.

  • LASUCOM Students protest prolong programme

    Scores of students from Lagos State University College of Medicine, (LASUCOM) Monday stormed the office of the State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, to protest the delay in completion of their programme within the stipulated academic year.

    The protesters led by the chairman, LASU Association of Dental Students,  Mr. Sydon Agbor,  lamented that the students had spent eight years instead of the stipulated six years, due to the non-accreditation of one of the program called Medical and Dental program.

    Agbor, a 600 level student said the program is paramount adding that without the accreditation by the regulatory body, the final year students would not graduate.

    According to him, “we are here to let the state’s governor, know the plight of the students in this institution; our future is at stake here. Some of us have spent eight years and yet there is no guarantee for our graduation without the accreditation of the programme.”

    He  appealed to the governor to assist with funds that would enable the school acquire some basic infrastructures, employ lecturer, build laboratories as well as facilities that must be available to train student.

    “We have been in this journey since 2008, normally the course should be six years program but since then, till date, almost eight year, no improvement,” he said.

    He explained the need for the government to ensure that the school authority judiciously use the funds that has been allocated to the institution for the right purpose.

    “We want the governor to use his influence to boycott all protocol and ensure that the money  go to the right destination.”