The Nation Newspaper

Tag: medical expert

  • Regular intake of smoke will lead to chronic lung diseases – medical expert

    Dr Ejike Oji, a medical practitioner and chairman, Association for the Advancement of Family Planning and CSO, Focal Point for Nigeria on Family Planning 2020 Initiative, speaks on the grave health implications of continually inhaling fumes from such dumpsite.

    The fumes at Olusosun Dumpsite have been on for well two weeks now; what is the health implication for people living or working in the area?

    Naturally, dumpsites should be located far away from where people live because of the environmental hazards. First, there are the bio-hazards, which may be a result of improperly disposed hospital materials; but the one that is more worrisome are the dangers of Zoonotic diseases such as Ebola and Lassa fever. However, the spectacle of a burning dumpsite is another level of exposure, as people living or working within the area would be exposed to a lot of what we call occupational health diseases such as chronic bronchitis. And for people who have allergy or are sufferers of asthma could be susceptible to constant attacks. You may well know that asthma within ten minutes can kill a man.

    Also, if people inhale the smoke over a long period of time, it will damage their lungs. They will have pulmonary fibrosis disease, which is a lifelong debilitating disease of the lungs.

    Some of the workers and traders spoken to in the area said all they needed do was get home and take drugs to cleanse their system; some even said they would take lime. Are there really any such drugs?

    Nothing of the sort. The people are joking. They are joking with their lives. The only thing that can help them is to wear the appropriate face mask. And I don’t mean ordinary mask or just any mask; but in the absence of the appropriate mask, an ordinary mask is better than wearing nothing at all. So anyone who has to stay or work there for a long time should wear the proper mask to filter the dirty air.

    Don’t you think the idea of going home to take drugs could be another potential dangerous habit for drug abuse?

    Of course anything that can make you take drugs that are not prescribed is an abuse. Besides, some of those drugs they are taking may be harmful or have sedative effects, and could in the end become addictive. Even if the people eventually move out of the area, or the situation is finally arrested, the addiction may have set in, leading to lifelong health issues.

    Lagos State government last week issued a directive that people working and living around the dumpsite should vacate the place temporarily until the fire and smoke is put out. Does that sound like a solution?

    I don’t think that is the right step to take. If they want to take that kind of decision, assuming it is the only place they can use as dumpsite, they should call a town hall meeting and explain things properly and also offer alternative sites for the people to move to.

    There is this argument that the dumpsite preceded the people to the area, that it was far outside town until people started moving in to build houses and offices.

    If the dumpsite preceded the people and development has now come to the place, it is the responsibility of the government to relocate the dumpsite to a distant place. In a normal clime, where the government is sensitive, once they see that development has come near a dumpsite, they relocate the dumpsite. Besides, is it not the government that gave allocation and approvals for the buildings in the area? Except if they are saying the buildings there are illegal. Also, I think part of the problem is population expansion and this is why the people must avail themselves of adequate Family Planning methods, so that people only get pregnant when they want and cases of bloated population is curtailed. Based on available indices, Nigeria, by 2040 is expected become the third most populated country in the world and that is why we are advocating for increase in access to family planning services for our women. As we speak, the federal government is leading the way, having recently made a commitment at the London Summit that the nation will attain a CPR of 27 percent modern methods. It also made a commitment of $10m towards this target; but the states are not showing the same commitment, which is worrisome. On this, I think I should commend the Lagos State government. They are a listening government and Lagos is one of the few states in the country that have done well in increasing Family Planning Services across board. This is why I believe they will do something about this dumpsite dilemma.

    Lastly, what do you think should be done about schools, I mean high-profile schools, within the vicinity?

    The important question is, were the sites approved for schools? You may be tempted to answer in the positive simply because the schools are high profile schools, but it will surprise you that it is the so-called big people that break the law. Poor people break laws out of ignorance, but big people break the law out of impunity, believing they can get away with it. But aside health, there is the debilitating effect on the pupils’ sense of aesthetics. They may grow up imbibing the culture that it is alright to have such ugly dumpsites near beautiful buildings and schools. To answer your question directly, I think there is only one solution: relocate the school or the dumpsite.

  • Meningitis: Medical practitioner gives preventive tips  

    A medical expert, Mr Yusuf Ibrahim, has advised people to ensure good personal hygiene and sleep in well-ventilated rooms to curtail the spread of Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis (CSM).

    Ibrahim gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Hadejia, Jigawa.

    He said the call was imperative to curtail transmission of the disease in view of the outbreak recorded in some parts of the country.

    Ibrahim explained that symptoms of the disease included headache, fever and loss of consciousness in patients with severe infection.

    “Meningitis typically begins with headache; nausea and vomiting, stiff neck, chills and fever.

    “As the disease progresses, the patient becomes less rational, decrease the level of consciousness, and lapses into coma,’’ he said.

    Ibrahim noted that children and adults were vulnerable to infections, adding that the disease could be prevented through proper care and good personal hygiene.

    The medical practitioner advised mothers to bath their children at regular intervals and sleep in a well-ventilated rooms.

    “Caregivers should give special attention to children to keep them healthy. It is also good to wash hands, fruits and vegetables before eating,’’ he said.

    Ibrahim also advised people against extreme exposure to the sun to protect themselves against skin diseases.

    The medical practitioner called on governments and development organisations to increase surveillance and sensitisation activities at grassroots to curtail the disease.

     

  • Expert tasks parents to be conscious of children’s hygiene

    A medical expert, Dr Yinka David of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), has advised parents to be conscious of their children’s hygiene and dispose dirty water in their surroundings.

    David, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ilorin, further urged them to be watchful of the kind of food they fed their children with.

    He said that some parents, due to environmental conditions, especially in rural areas, gave contaminated water and food to their children without considering the health implications.

    According to him, contaminated waters may lead to illnesses such as nausea, vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, which can also lead to death, if not properly managed.

    “Parents should care more about the hygiene of their children. Do not just feed them with anything available, to survive.

    “There is an extent that children’s internal system can store infected foods and water, as it may cause severe health challenges.

    “Parents must take caution and avoid being careless about their children’s health,” David said.

    The medical practitioner also called on parents to ensure proper treatment of water to be used for their children, by applying disinfectants.

    David advised government at all levels, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, to organise enlightenment seminar for parents, on the need for a healthy and clean water for their children’s consumption.

  • Expert advocates proper funding for health sector

    A medical expert, Dr Oso Taiwo, on Monday called for proper funding of Nigeria’s indigenous health sector as an alternative to foreign medicare.

    Taiwo, who is the Executive Director of Ibukun Oluwa Hospital, Osogbo, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

    He said that only well-funded and standardised health sector can make the society better for the purpose of improving the well-being of the people and happy at all time.

    According to him, “If the healthcare system is being developed and adequately funded, there will be no need for Nigerians to go abroad to treat simple headache.

    “The case of former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, is a practical example for the rest of African countries, most especially the ruling class to have a re-think and do the right thing.

    “It has been established that those who go abroad for treatment are those who have easy access to national resources, which is seriously killing the economy,’’ he said.

    He stressed the need to commit more resources to the sector and make it a priority in the consideration of governmental policies.

    Taiwo also called on the practitioners in the health sector to stand up to their professional ethics in order to fulfil their obligation of service to humanity without blemish.

    He urged them to be rooted in the modern trend of the profession in order to face the challenges of the moment in the face of global warming, which is seriously threatening the human race.

    The physician implored the government to pay more attention to the sector and adequately make funds available.

    He said that practitioners without facilities are like army generals without weapons. 

  • Expert warns against eating, drinking rusted canned foods

    A medical expert, Dr Owolabi Adebayo, of the Forties Hospital, Ilorin, has warned Nigerians against eating and drinking rusted canned foods.

    Adebayo, who gave the warning in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Monday, said that eating from rusted containers could cause some lower forms of tetanus in the body.

    He said rusted cans could have tiny holes which allowed bacteria to enter the food or drink, adding that any case as such could be disastrous to the health.

    The medical expert condemned the habits of some Nigerians who consumed foods and drinks from rusted containers, stressing that this could also cause cancer.

    “There are some things people do not take serious, and one of them is drinking and eating from rusted containers because they may not be aware of the health implications.

    “Rusted cans have tiny holes which allowed bacteria to penetrate the foods or drinks consumed by many Nigerians.

    “Nigerians should stop consuming food from rusted containers because that is serious food poisoning,” he said.

    He also advised dealers not to store foods and drinks in cans under the sun or rain for too long to avoid rusting before they were distributed.

    Adebayo called on the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to take adequate measures to ensure that manufacturers and dealers do not circulate rusted canned foods and drinks in the country.