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  • LUTH embraces solar energy to boost service delivery

    LUTH embraces solar energy to boost service delivery

    Amid rising electricity tariffs and unpaid bills burdening the healthcare sector, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, is pioneering solar energy to ensure uninterrupted power. This innovative shift not only ensures continuous power for critical healthcare services but also underscores the vital role of renewable energy in Nigeria’s healthcare sector. Emmanuel Chidi-maha reports

    In an era where reliable electricity is paramount to the functionality of healthcare institutions, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, stands out as a beacon of innovation. As Nigeria grapples with electricity tariffs hikes and mounting unpaid bills by government agencies, LUTH has taken a bold step towards ensuring uninterrupted power supply by embracing solar energy. This strategic shift not only underscores the hospital’s commitment to patient care but also highlights the growing importance of renewable energy in the country’s healthcare sector.

    The backdrop to LUTH’s decision to go solar is a complex web of financial and infrastructural challenges faced by federal health institutions across Nigeria. With the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) announcing hikes in electricity tariffs, government agencies, including hospitals, have been struggling to keep up with their electricity bills. The Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) recently threatened to disconnect power to the Presidential Villa and other top government offices due to unpaid bills amounting to N47 billion. Among the top debtors was the Nigerian Army, owing over N12 billion.

    This crisis has been particularly acute in healthcare facilities. The University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, for instance, was plunged into darkness multiple times in March due to unpaid bills totaling N495 million. The disconnections severely hampered the hospital’s ability to provide essential services, posing significant health risks to patients and staff. The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UCH, Prof. Jesse Otegbayo, highlighted the dire situation in a letter to the Minister of Finance, lamenting that the hospital’s monthly government subvention was insufficient to cover its various expenses, including electricity bills.

    Similarly, LUTH has faced enormous financial strain due to high electricity costs. According to the current CMD, Prof. Wasiu Adeyemo, the hospital spends up to N150 million on electricity monthly, while receiving a meager N14 million in government subvention for power. The previous CMD, Prof. Chris Bode, echoed these concerns, noting that the escalating cost of gas had jeopardized the hospital’s gas-powered hybrid energy system. These financial pressures have necessitated the exploration of alternative energy sources to ensure the continuous delivery of healthcare services.

    LUTH’s solar energy initiative

    In response to these challenges, LUTH has embarked on a pioneering journey to integrate solar energy into its power supply system. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to create a hybrid energy system that incorporates renewable and clean energy sources. The hospital management, led by Prof. Adeyemo, has demonstrated a steadfast commitment to leveraging solar power to mitigate the impact of electricity supply disruptions. The decision to adopt solar energy was driven by several factors. Firstly, the rising cost of gas made it increasingly difficult to sustain the hospital’s gas-powered energy system. Secondly, the frequent disconnections by electricity distribution companies (DisCos) due to unpaid bills posed a severe risk to the hospital’s operations. By investing in solar energy, LUTH aims to achieve energy independence, reduce operational costs, and ensure a reliable power supply for its critical healthcare services.

    The implementation of the solar energy project began with a test run, which was recently commissioned. This initial phase involves the installation of solar panels and the necessary infrastructure to harness solar power. The goal is to expand this system to cover the entire hospital, thereby providing a sustainable and uninterrupted power source. Prof. Adeyemo has expressed confidence that the project will be fully operational by the end of the year, significantly enhancing the hospital’s service delivery capacity.

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    During the test run, the alternative power source at the hospital’s Ward A provided 91.7% of the electricity needed, with the public supply accounting for only 8.3% over the course of one week. “Our partners have demonstrated capacity with the proof of consent and we are satisfied,” said the CMD who disclosed that the hospital has adopted a strategic plan to ensure uninterrupted power supply broken to three segments of immediate, intermediate and long term. “In addition to that, TNL has also donated 30 fans to ward A. What we have seen now is immediate; we also have our intermediate plan even before these current challenges that we are facing. So now we have this opportunity, we want to commission this and see how it works and some of us that are used to solar and inverter energy systems, you know that the technology has gone ballistic. There’s no gadget that cannot be powered by the solar system; so that is the reason why we are here today,” said the CMD.

    Prof Adeyemo disclosed that after conducting a power audit, the management decided to experiment with Block A, a medical ward that includes a private ward and wards A2, A3 and A4. The LUTH boss assured that the alternative power scheme would be financed through the hospital’s internally generated revenue and urged staff to prevent any misuse of the facility. Mr. Femi Numa, managing director of Taranis Novus Limited, the solution providers, stated that the company has delivered an all-in-one 20kw/40kwh energy solution based on solar renewable energy. This system ensures that medical and healthcare facilities will never face blackouts or power outages.

    “Today, as we activate this alternative energy solution, we are setting a new standard for clean energy production in this national centre of medical & healthcare excellence.  This solar solution is more than just an assembly of panels and batteries; it is a promise of a brighter, greener future. A future where our energy needs are met not by depleting resources but by harnessing the boundless energy of the sun.

    “The journey to this moment has been paved with challenges, but our collective resolve has turned those challenges into milestones. This project will serve as a model for others to follow, showcasing that renewable energy is not only viable but preferable,” said Numa.

    Mr. Kehinde Olaleye, deputy managing director of Taranis Novus Limited (TNL), explained that the system primarily draws energy from the sun, supplemented by installed lithium batteries. “The last place it will draw from is the grid, and that means whether it’s Band A or Band B, you don’t need to worry,” he said. The project specifications include a 20-kilowatt capacity inverter. During the pilot phase, the system will power basic lighting, fans, sockets for medical equipment, and a few air conditioners in critical areas.

    Head of Engineering at LUTH, Eng. Segun Ogunkeye, stated that the facility has a free energy supply of 20 kilowatts supported by eight lithium-ion phosphate batteries, each with a capacity of 48 volts and a lifespan of 10 years. He added that the pilot scheme will integrate energy from the national grid, solar panels installed on the rooftop of the building, and the inverter. “This is not the only place that we have an inverter in this hospital but this is the only place that we have inverter with panels. And my advice to all the users of this equipment is that misuse should not be encouraged. An inverter is not meant to power heating elements like a hot plate or boiling ring. We are appealing and also the engineering department has set up a task force that will be monitoring the misuse of this facility,” Ogunkeye advised.

    Benefits of solar energy for LUTH

    The adoption of solar energy promises numerous benefits for LUTH. One of them is cost savings. By reducing dependence on the national grid and gas-powered energy, solar project promoters said LUTH can significantly cut its electricity expenses and free up funds for other critical needs, such as medical supplies, staff welfare and facility maintenance. Besides cost savings, solar energy offers a more reliable power source compared to the frequently disrupted supply from DisCos. This ensures that essential medical equipment and facilities remain operational at all times, enhancing patient care. The project also feeds into environmental sustainability drive. Solar power is a clean and renewable energy source, which aligns with global efforts to combat climate change. And by reducing its carbon footprint, experts believe LUTH will be contributing to a more sustainable future for Nigeria and the planet.

    Nothing compares with energy independence. With its own solar power system, LUTH can achieve greater energy independence, reducing its vulnerability to external factors such as tariff hikes and fuel shortages. This will cascade into improvement in healthcare delivery, as a stable and reliable power supply is crucial for the effective operation of healthcare facilities. By ensuring continuous electricity, LUTH can provide better care for its patients, improve staff working conditions, and enhance overall service delivery.

    Challenges and future prospects

    While the shift to solar energy presents significant advantages, it also comes with its own set of challenges. The initial investment in solar infrastructure is substantial, requiring significant capital outlay. However, LUTH’s management is optimistic that the long-term savings and benefits will outweigh these initial costs. Additionally, the hospital must ensure proper maintenance and management of the solar power system to maximise its efficiency and lifespan. The success of LUTH’s solar energy initiative could serve as a model for other healthcare institutions in Nigeria and beyond. As the country continues to face energy challenges, the adoption of renewable energy sources like solar power could offer a viable solution for reducing operational costs and improving service delivery in the healthcare sector. Moreover, this initiative aligns with global trends towards sustainable energy and could attract support from international organizations and donors interested in promoting renewable energy and healthcare development.

    As the CMD said, LUTH’s decision to embrace solar energy marks a significant milestone in its efforts to overcome the challenges posed by Nigeria’s electricity crisis. According to him, by investing in a sustainable and reliable power source, the hospital is not only securing its operational future but also setting an example for other institutions facing similar difficulties. “As the solar energy project progresses, LUTH is poised to enhance its service delivery, ensure better patient care, and contribute to a more sustainable and resilient healthcare system in Nigeria. This bold move reflects our hospital’s commitment to innovation and excellence, demonstrating that even in the face of daunting challenges, proactive solutions can lead to transformative change. As LUTH lights the way with solar energy, it offers a hopeful vision for the future of healthcare in Nigeria and beyond,” he said.

  • Foundation celebrates 5th anniversary

    Princess Modupe Ogunbayo Foundation has concluded plans to celebrate its fifth anniversary. The celebration will take place at the multipurpose Hall of Saints Joachim and Anne Catholic Church Ijegun, Ikotun Lagos. Although the foundation which caters for widows, orphans and the less privileged was established in 1982 in Ile-Ife but was launched in 2014.

    Since its launch, the foundation has been giving scholarships to children of widows, orphans and the less privileged and providing foods and other relief materials, including free medical services.

    The foundation has also helped widows to establish small businesses in order to sustain them and to restore their dignity. This it achieves through provision of soft loans to the widows so as to sustain their businesses.

    According to the initiator of the foundation Princess Modupe Ogunbayo, helping the needy has also been there since her days as a young girl while growing up in Jos, Plateau State.

    “My father was a senior civil servant and we lived in the quarters in Jos. Each time I went to town to sell for my mother I saw a lot of poor children roaming around place and when I talk to them they tell me they don’t have parents. Then, as a nurse, I noticed a lot of poverty among the people. I saw a lot of widows suffering from the hands of their in-laws,” said Princess Ogunbayo.

    Continuing, she said: “I worked as a nurse in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); an area surrounded by poverty. I always have empathy for them. It grew up with me and when I had the opportunity, I started it with some other women in 1982.

    She noted that she was not motivated by material gains in establishing the NGO.

    She said: ‘I am not looking for any material gains. I derive joy when I see these people happy.

    Many of them came here very miserable and some even had suicidal tendencies according to their testimonies when they joined. My joy is that I see them and their children happy and their children progressing. Most of them can now render helping hands to others,” she said.

    One of the beneficiaries of the foundation, Mrs John Elizabeth said: “I came here with tears in my eyes five years ago when my in-laws frustrated me but when I met with Mama, she advised and encouraged me. I was given a grinding machine to start a small business and it has really helped me in taking care of my family.”

  • ‘How to prevent bacteria infections’

    A Doctor at  the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Mrs Temitope Ogungbemi, has said personal hygiene is the best solution to prevent infections, bacteria diseases.

    She urged women especially the young females approaching the maturity stages to imbibe the spirit of personal hygiene to prevent them from contracting infections and other bacteria diseases.

    The Senior Nurse spoke at a health symposium organised by the New Voice of the District 404B1 Lions Clubs International to educate the young female students at State High School,  Alimosho, Lagos State and Iganmode Grammar School, Ota, Ogun State.

    The health talk, themed: “Better the balance,  better the word”, aimed at educating the female students how to always keep themselves clean and hygiene especially during their menstrual period.

    The non-governmental organisation organised the event to celebrate the 8th International Women’s Day and to make small girls smile. Several Sanitary pads/towels, notepad and other health and educational materials worth thousands of naira were donated to the female students at the event.

    Mrs Ogungbemi, while continuing her lecture, said personal hygiene is very important as it is the only act to keep human being especially women to live a healthy life and prevention against infections and bacteria diseases.

    She lamented on the rate at which females contracted diseases through the failure to keep themselves hygiene.

    She appealed to women to always ensure they bath at least twice in a day,  put on clean dresses including underwares, brush teeth, tongue, washing their hands with soap regularly mostly after toilet. She noted that washing hands regularly is very important to prevent from contracting or transmitting diseases.

    Mrs Ogungbemi also appealed to the females to always thoroughly wash their vagina with clean water and tissue after toilet, using sanitary towels and pads while menstruating, change two or three times daily depending how flow its and hairs must always neat, she concluded.

    Speaking at the event, the District Governor Olalekan Babalola,  said international Women’s Day was organised to remind the people that the future is exciting if a gender balanced world can be built. Adding that to achieve the desired goal, everyone has part to play,  from grassroots activism to worldwide action.

    He said the people are entering an exciting period of history where the world expect balance, saying the world is obviously noticed its absence and celebrate it’s presence because “balance” drives a better working world.

    He quoted the Gloria Steinem, world-renowned feminist, journalist and activist that once explained the story of women’s struggle for equality belongs to no single feminist nor to any organisation but to the collective efforts of all who care about human rights.

    He appealed to the women in the District and Lions Clubs generally to continue encourage women to have the spirit of acquiring leadership in government and at all levels.

    He said Lions Clubs would continue to sponsors and provide humanitarian services to the needies in the society.

  •  Our agony, by survivors of Lagos building collapse

    Some survivors of the Lagos building collapse yesterday spoke of their harrowing experience.

    Bereaved families also recounted the death of their loved ones.

    The survivors, who are in four hospitals, said they escaped death by whiskers.

    They said they were busy with their chores when the building came down.

    Many families flocked Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Massey Street Children Hospital, Lagos University Teaching Hospital and Gbagada General Hospital in search of their loved ones.

    Mr Abideen Olawusi, a businessman and father of one of the victims, lamented the loss of his about-three-year-old girl, Qawiat.

    According to him, his wife is traumatised by the tragedy.

    “I am here to look after Qawiat’s injured sister, Rokibat. Rokibat is seven years old. Their mother could not come to the hospital because the death of Qawiat is taking its toll on her. She is traumatised and not feeling well. I left her in care of my relatives and friends to come and stay with Rokibat, who is injured,” Olawusi said.

    According to him, Qawiat must have died of shock. “When they brought out her remains, there were no signs of injury on her body. She must have died of shock. I carried her, checked all her body, I couldn’t find any part of her body injured. We buried her this (yesterday) morning. It is a sad experience for parents to bury their child after years of suffering from her birth to that age.”

    The three-year-old son of Mr Saheed Owolabi, an official of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Ayomide, survived the incident.

    Owolabi said despite his child’s cry that he did not want to go to that school anymore, he forcefully took him to the school that fateful day.

    He said: “What would I have told the world if he had died? That I forced my son to attend school the day the incident took place despite his refusal to go. My son insisted that day that he was not going to school. He said his teacher, Esther Ifeanyi, who was the owner of the school, used to beat him. Ayomide’s mother usually takes him to school, but when he was crying, I told his mother to leave. I carried him, promised to buy him biscuits. At the school, I spoke with his teacher and she promised not to beat him again. On my way downstairs, I looked back, my son was moody. He has not been that way before, so I promised to come and pick him from school.

    “I went to work. It was around 10am that my wife called me that my son’s school building had collapsed. I was shocked. I ran to the school. When he was brought out, he sustained injuries on his head, eyes and cheeks.  It was later that I learnt the school building had been marked for demolition. My son had been in the school since last year.”

    Ronke Pedro told The Nation that she lost her brother.

    “Our 97-year-old grandmother was also affected, but she is receiving treatment at the General Hospital. My brother, Kazeem, who is 37, died. They brought out his bodies around 3pm ,” she said.

    She blamed the government for not demolishing the building after it was marked twice for demolition.

    “Government should ensure those buildings that failed integrity tests are demolished. We lost a lot of lives here; many of them are our children.  There are many other buildings on Lagos Island that have been marked for demolition but they are being repainted. We need to put a stop to this insensitive attitude that is killing us,” Pedro said.

    Another survivor, Khalid Amoo, received a cap from Lagos State Governor-elect Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu yesterday when he visited the survivors with the Deputy Governor-elect, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, at the hospital.

    Sanwo-Olu, Amoo’s aunt said, removed his cap and put it on the boy’s head.

    She said he prayed for him that he would grow up to be a governor.

    Lagos State Commissioner for Health Dr. Jide Idris told The Nation last night that the death toll had increased from 18 to 20.

    “The last person that was brought out of the rubble around 3am was dead,” he said.

    Idris said 42 survivors were being treated in six hospitals.

    “We have some at Onikan, Massey Street Children Hospital four were referred to Gbagada General Hospital, eight were taken to LASUTH and one in LUTH. They are all responding well to treatment,” he said.

    A building opposite the collapsed building was demolished yesterday.

    Lagos Island East Local Council Development Area Chairman Mr Kamal Salau-Bashua, who supervised the demolition, said the building failed the integrity test.

    He urged residents to give information on buildings with defects.

    National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) Director (Search and Rescue) Air Commodore Akugbe Iyamu was at the scene yesterday.

    He visited the General Hospital to commiserate with the victims, their families and the State Government.

    He assured the relations of the victims that the Federal Government was working with state officials on how to assist  them.

     

     

  • A lift for kids with cancer

    The District 404B1 of Lions Clubs International has donated N400,000 to support the treatment of children diagnosed with paediatric cancer in Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Idi-Araba, Lagos State.

    More than 50 members of the group, led by the District Governor, Olalekan Babalola, and other executives stormed the Oncology Department/Ward of the government hospital to present the cheque with other luxuries and Samsung flat screen television.

    The gesture, according to Babalola, while presenting the gifts, was to celebrate Lions Clubs Childhood Cancer Day. He said the non-governmental group has added the campaign against the childhood cancer with its humanitarian projects to reduce if not total eradication childhood cancer in the society.

    He said the childhood cancer had become another deadly disease threaten the children worldwide and many of them are dying on daily basis as a result of this.

    “Lions Clubs International have dedicated to help and protecting children/youths from the devastating effects of cancer all over the world that’ve been diagnosed with cancer.

    “Many of the children with cancer could have survived after they diagnosed but they didn’t due to lack of funds to finance the treatment.

    “Due to this, many parents go to religious homes for prayers or embarked on local treatment due to financial incapability which of course didn’t help. But with this idea, majority of the children diagnosed with cancer can have a much better chance of survival. “Lions Clubs wish to give every child a full chance and joyful life. We’re humanitarian service group and we would continue in accordance with our core mandate use our ‘time, treasure and talent’ to support projects and initiatives that would make life meaningful for the masses especially the less-privileges in the society.

    “We will continue to partnering with associations and reputable organisations to help improve Lions’ ability to positively impact and improve the lives of children who have been diagnosed with cancer.

    Babalola appealed to corporate organisations, political stalwarts and well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aide of poor parents who their children diagnosed with this deadly disease through the support of hospital treatment to enable us have a better society.

    He thanked the Club members who have been taking out of their little income to support the humanitarian services that could make life better for the poor masses in the society.

    The recipient of the donations, one of the Senior Doctor in Haematology/Oncology Unit Department of Paediatrics in the hospital,  Prof. Ademola Akinsulie, thanks those who established Lions Clubs which had been a platform of assisting the less-privileges globally.

    He urged the Club to help spreading the campaign against this childhood cancer in the local communities to eradicate ignorance of proper checking of health status.

    He said the campaign would enable individuals knows the importance of helping the poor parents when it comes to health issues.

    He decried worrisome at which children with cancers are dying as a result of financial incapability from the parents.

  • ‘Women can do more, if healthy’

    Government at all levels have been urged show more commitment to upgrade health facilities across the country. Doing so will ensure patients access quality health care.

    The wife of the Regional Pastor of Region 20 of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, City of David (COD), Victoria Island Lagos, Pastor (Mrs) Siju Iluyomade gave the advice at this year’s Health walk tagged, “Walk for Life”.

    Pastor Siju said if health facilities are not just consulting rooms, but up to date, as they were in the 70s and 80s, then there would be drastic reduction in the brain drain being currently witnessed in the health sector. She also said medical tourism would be in the trash can of history. “The era of state governments setting up tables and chairs and seeing patients on ad hoc basis would stop. Nigerians deserve good hospitals,” she said.

    Continuing, Pastor Siju said: “The era of setting up tables, and beds without putting adequate man power and equipment should stop. There should be good hospitals in every 30 mile-walk in Nigeria. I remember vividly how the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) was. All members of the health team were ready to do their bit. LUTH stood among committees of tertiary institutions on the Continent, but the story has changed overtime.

    “The best doctors were there at Idi Araba.  There was no room for misdiagnoses. Nobody was interested in travelling outside the country for medical treatment. We should return to where we were and stop fooling ourselves that we are getting better. The situation is worse off.

    “The Nigerian populace is not getting good health care delivery. Every woman is entitled to good health facility, because she is the most vulnerable in the society-she gives birth to children, nurtures, work and complement the husband’s efforts in the upkeep of the home and she is the stabilising factor in the home”.

    She said though the Walk was the 10th, she does not intend to relent on her effort. “I intend to spread the message through this vision nationally-that humankind deserves a better life. It will also soon turn to a global message-that the woman is important to the society.”

    According to the saying- a hand that rocks the cradle rules the world. And modern women are ready, and we are Arising Now”.

    On the forthcoming conference she said it was her dream to encourage and equip today’s woman for “…every good work” in her generation. According to 2nd Tim 3:17, ARISE is a Faith-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) which is committed to accelerating nation-building through the empowerment of women in the society. So, ARISE Women’s Conference exists to empower women to rise above any circumstance or obstacle through the power of Jesus Christ and His Word.

    “The conference is designed to be a life-changing annual weekend experience full of practical Biblical teaching, worship, creative media, and artistic expression saturated in a dynamic and fun atmosphere. It is open to all women from any background and denomination,” she said.

    Also speaking, her husband, Pastor Idowu Iluyomade, ARISE is a Faith-based NGO which is committed to accelerating nation-building through the empowerment of women in the society, “ARISE has also been passionate about the health of women and free preventive medical care is being offered to women in the area of HIV tests, eye tests, blood pressure and blood sugar level tests. It is my dream to encourage and equip today’s woman by joining my wife in this vision.

    “God is God of life. To do anything for God, one needs this body. So, it must be kept healthy and fit. And one will achieve God’s purpose for one’s life. We are using this Health walk to advocate for a good health for women. As she normally says, hand that rocks the baby rules the nation,” he added.

     

  • Experts to parents: Ensure children’s oral health

    Parents have been told not to neglect the oral healthcare of their children. This was the call by experts in oral/dental health unit of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba, as it marked this year’s Children Day.

    According to the Head of Department (HOD), Orthodontic Clinic, LUTH, Dr (Mrs) Ifeoma Utomi, tooth decay; caries, and bad breath are very common oral problems among children, which are preventable conditions.

    Dr Utomi said Tooth decay refers to the loss of minerals from tooth structure caused by bacteria and proper dental care can take care of.

    She explained: “Caries, or tooth decay, is a preventable disease. While caries might not endanger your child’s life, they may negatively impact the quality of life. When teeth and gums are consistently exposed to large amounts of starches and sugars, acids may form  to eat away at tooth enamel.

    “Carbohydrate-rich foods such as candy, cookies, soft drinks and even fruit juices leave deposits on children’s teeth. Those deposits bond with the bacteria that normally survive in the mouth and form plaque. The combination of deposits and plaque forms acids that can damage the mineral structure of teeth, with tooth decay resulting.”

    Bad breath called Halitosis can also be prevented by brushing two times daily. Also, flossing helps prevent the buildup of food particles, plaque and bacteria in their mouth.

    Food particles left in the mouth deteriorate and cause bad breath; consistent bad breath may be a sign of gum disease or another dental problem, “bringing them to the clinic early enough is the right step to take”. He said: “Our focus for having this party is to further create oral health care among the children, who are drawn from staff children and patients.”

    A lecturer at University of Lagos College of Medicine (ULCM), Dr Chioma Nzomiwu, said children are easy to teach, so parents should train them early in their childhood on how to take care of their oral health.

    “Children’s common dental problems are cavities, caries and plague. The teeth, bones and soft tissue of the mouth require a healthy, well-balanced diet. A variety of foods from the five food groups helps minimise (and avoid) cavities and other dental problems. Most snacks that children eat cause cavities, so children should only receive healthy foods like vegetables, low-fat yogurt and cheeses, which promote strong teeth.

    “Too much sugary foods expose and endanger children’s teeth to cavities (hole in the tooth). Dental care in children should start right from childhood. Normally the first tooth erupts between ages six to 12 months. Gums are sore, tender and sometimes irritable until the age of three. Rubbing sore gums gently with a clean finger, the back of a cold spoon or a cold, wet cloth helps soothe the gums. Teething rings work well, but avoid teething biscuits-they contain sugar that is not good for baby’s teeth,”she said.

    Dr Nzomiwu said while a baby is teething, it is important to monitor the teeth for signs of baby bottle decay. “Examine the teeth, especially on the inside or the tongue side, every two weeks for dull spots (whiter than the tooth surface) or lines. A bottle containing anything other than water and left in an infant’s mouth while sleeping can cause decay. This happens because sugar in the liquid mixes with bacteria in dental plaque, forming acids that attack the tooth enamel. Each time a child drinks liquids containing sugar, acids attack the teeth for about 20 minutes. When awake, saliva carries away the liquid. During sleep, the saliva flow significantly decreases and liquids pool around the child’s teeth for long periods, covering the teeth in acids.

    “Primary teeth are important for several reasons. Foremost, good teeth allow a child to eat and maintain good nutrition. Healthy teeth allow for clear pronunciation and speech habits. The self-image that healthy teeth give a child is immeasurable. Primary teeth also guide eruption of the permanent teeth,” she said.

  • Remain focused, Health Information Management students told

    Matriculating students of the Health Information Management of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi Araba have been urged to remain focused and take advantage of every opportunity that the institution offers to make their studies fruitful. https://kulawa.ng/

    Health Records Officers Registration Board of Nigeria Registrar, Mr Muhammed Ibrahim Mami gave the advice in Lagos.

    Speaking at the matriculation held at the school’s premises, he urged the students to be serious with their studies.

    Mami, who spoke on ‘The role of students in promoting professionalism: Health information management perspectives’, said: “I see this profession as a calling. Answering it should, therefore, demand high level skill development through training and commitment to continual learning. This would, therefore, suggest that students of Health Information Management, who aspire to become professionals, should be prepared to submit themselves to continuous excellence in training and proficiency.’’

    Earlier, LUTH Chief Medical Director, Prof. Chris Bode, represented by the Principal, School of Health Information Management, Mr Ojo Olofinluyi, said the course is one of the multidisciplinary programmes being run in the hospital.

    According to him, the course deals with creating, distributing, utilising, maintaining and disposing records and information about patients’ hospitalisation and public health.

    Health Information Management, he said, is one of the fastest-growing professions in Nigeria. Careers in Health Information Management  encompasses medicine, law, business and Information Technology.

    “Every healthcare facility needs a Health Information Management department that is prepared to provide appropriate systems and methods using data that are important in patient care, administrative functions, planning for future needs and focusing on quality care. The systems may be paper-based or computerised. Decisions relative to patient care and financial reimbursement depend on the information in the patient record.

    ‘’Therefore, it is necessary that this information be complete and accurate because clinical data management responsibilities are now paramount to effective healthcare delivery services. In fact, healthcare systems require Health Information Management professionals to be knowledgeable about the needs of the clinical staff,” Olofinluyi added.

  • Students donate blood to save child-patients

    To save the lives of children with sickle cell and cancer, students of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) last Wednesday besieged the New Hall and Bookshop areas on the Akoka campus to donate blood during a blood donation programme.

    No fewer than 360 donors visited makeshift blood donation centres created by Project Smile, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), in partnership with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and UNILAG chapter of the Association of Medical Students (AMSUL).

    According to the organisers, the joint project tagged: Save 500 lives, was aimed at donating 500 pints of blood for children admitted for cancer disease and sickle cell in LUTH.

    The blood donation, the organisers said, was initiated because shortage of blood reserves faced by the hospital. They said the blood would be given to the children in need free of charge.

    Chief Donor Officer at the Department of Haematology Mrs Mercy Onofomi acknowledged that the hospital had been struggling to meet blood supply to patients, noting that its blood bank had been overdrawn. Onofomi blamed the blood shortage on lack of voluntary blood donation by Nigerians.

    She said: “In LUTH, we use up to 50 pints of blood daily and people can imagine how many days these 500 blood pints would last. Our blood is not always enough because of the volume of blood we use. We supply blood to cancer patients, accident victims and pregnant women. Several patients depend on blood supply daily.”

    She urged students to voluntarily participate in the donation programme, saying it was the best way to save lives.

    She said: “In a situation where one person requires 15 units of blood, how many can his relations give out? This is why we need this kind of voluntary blood donation to address the shortage. We are not to depend on patients’ family members to replace the blood in the reserve; the best way is to organise this exercise where people will voluntarily donate blood for medical use.”

    A co-founder of Project Smile, Oyinda Olayinka, a 300-Level medical student, said the initiative was informed by the NGO’s encounter with sickle-cell and cancer child patients in the LUTH.

    She said the initiative was birthed at a Christmas party organised for children suffering from sickle and cancer last year. After the party, she said the NGO started receiving requests to help get blood for the children.

    She said: “So, we thought about what could we do for them and we came up with this initiative. We got people to donate blood and we gave it to them free of charge. To keep them alive, we planned to get 500 pints of blood from 500 people. It means we are saving 500 lives.”

    AMSUL’s president Chukwuemeka Agbarakwe, a 600-Level medical student, said the exercise would be held regularly within the year until there was excess blood supply to child patients.

  • Cardiothoracic surgeons meet on better practice

    Cardiothoracic practice in Nigeria is developing but faces multiple challenges that need to be overcome to enable sustainable practice. That was the consensus of thoracic surgeons, who gathered at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba for their inaugural meeting and scientific conference – the first of its kind.

    Some of the identified challenges to increasing cardiothoracic surgical activity are- limitations in manpower development, infrastructure, laboratory support, local availability of consumables, cost of surgery, funding mechanisms for surgery, multiple models for development of cardiac surgery, decentralisation of efforts and lack of outcome data. Data collection and reporting of results must be started to enable development of more evidence-based practice, the surgeons said.

    Speaking at the inaugural meeting of their newly launched Nigerian branch of Association of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons (ACTSON), with the theme: Advancing cardiothoracic surgical practice in Nigeria, the surgeons in the field of cardiovascular and thoracic medicine also raised the alarm over poor access to treatment and services in Nigeria, lamenting that only two per cent have access to treatment in foreign lands while 98 percent are trapped in the system and die.

    As a result, more Nigerians are dying from Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) – a group of disorders of the heart and blood vessels. The four main types of CVDs are cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Among others are coronary heart disease – disease of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle which often causes heart attacks, and cerebrovascular disease – disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain, often leading to strokes.

    Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the University of Enugu Teaching Hospital, Prof. Martin Aghaji said a study showed that Nigeria is in dire need of improved cardiothoracic practice and survival rates, as he added, “I can tell you from our study that only two percent of the patients go abroad and 98 percent sit here and die. So there is need for us to galvanise and bring together the surgeons and cardiologists so that we can tackle these problems.”

    In his lecture entitled: Advancing Cardiothoracic Surgical Practice in Nigeria, Aghaji pointed out that aside the identified problems, medical errors is also a problem and noted that in order to forestall medical errors, using checklist before surgery can reduce medical errors by 35 percent deaths.

    “Our coming together under this umbrella is for practitioners to prevent medical errors. If somebody has a heart attack there is a protocol for handling that. We want to unify how patients are handled because it saves life. If you don’t do that, you find out that patients are handled haphazardly and there is a lot of loss of lives.”

    The President of ACTSON, Dr. Bode Falase, a Cardiothoracic Surgeon at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, said ACTSON seeks to ensure a sharp reduction in errors arising from wrong diagnosis, tests, treatments; transfusion and improve survival rates. He admitted an increase in cardiac-related diseases.

    Throwing light on the cardiac conditions, the Secretary-General of ACTSON, Dr. Augustine Olugbemi, said cardiovascular diseases are into two categories and some are congenital while some are acquired from lifestyles.

    Olugbemi who is also a Consultant Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, LUTH encouraged Nigerians to see a doctor regularly, “For prevention, quit smoking and reduce alcohol as much as you can. Do regular exercises and maintain healthy weight. If you have consistent cough, don’t say it is pneumonia, so see a doctor. It can be controlled with lifestyle modification.”

    Also in his lecture tagged: Healthcare Financing in Cardiac Surgery in Nigeria, former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Dr. Femi Thomas, blamed the poor survival rates of cardiac patients on inability to pay for healthcare.

    He urged the government to ensure universal coverage in the NHIS by making it compulsory, “NHIS needs to be re-energised, restructured, reviewed, and made more functional while the scheme itself should be purely a regulatory body,” he added.