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Tag: University College Hospital (UCH)

  • UCH trains doctors, nurses, others on pain management

    UCH trains doctors, nurses, others on pain management

    The University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, is training some doctors, nurses and other staffers on pain management to equip them to assess the condition and provide high-quality first line treatment.

    Dr. Adefemi Afolabi, Staff Champion Coordinator of the Pain-Free Hospital Initiative (PFHI), made the disclosure to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan.

    Afolabi, an endocrine surgeon, said the programme was being conducted in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and the American Cancer Society.

    According to him, the goal of PFHI is to equip staff to assess pain, provide high-quality first line treatment to improve on the overall access to essential pain medication in Nigeria.

    He said that to effectively implement pain management in a healthcare system required more than just access to medicines.

    “It requires an understanding of when and how to give pain medication and prioritisation of pain management as an essential part of care.

    “Over the course of one year, PFHI is to train physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare providers on how to assess pain levels and dispense medication.

    “The programme is to stress the importance of pain management for patients, specifically those suffering from pain-related to cancer and HIV,” he said.

    Afolabi said that the PFHI was being piloted at four hospitals throughout Nigeria, including University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, and National Hospital, Abuja.

    He also said it was envisioned that the one-year pilot project would further refine the design of the project model for effective replication in other federal tertiary health facilities in Nigeria.

    He added that the primary goal was to actively raise the quality of life for every Nigerian through dedicated service delivery.

    According to him, the PFHI is a pilot programme to strengthen the skills of health workers and equip them to provide high-quality pain treatment to their patients in line with International Treatment Guidelines.

    “The project will ensure adequate supply of pain medicines at affordable rate in hospitals and will be used appropriately.

    “In 2012, about 180,000 people were estimated to have died from moderate or severe pain from HIV or cancer in Nigeria.

    “In the same year, the utilisation of narcotic medication like morphine which has been designated as an essential pain relief medication by the World Health Organisation (WHO) was enough to treat only 266 people out of the above number.

    “This represents only 0.2 per cent coverage of pain treatment needed,” he told NAN.

    “In response to this problem, the Federal Ministry of Health began working with the American Cancer Society’s “Treat the Pain” programme to implement a broad pain management system and imported 19.2kg of pulverised morphine.

    “The Roll-Out of Pain Free Hospital Initiative became the next step of the collaboration process.

    “The pain treatment is an international programme within the American Cancer Society to improve access to pain medicines.

    “The programme provides technical support to improve patient access to Opioid Analgesics with a focus on low and middle-income countries with high unmet need for pain relief.”

    Afolabi said that the focus of the project was to increase the consumption of opioid (pain analgesics) to 50 per cent at the end of the year.

    He said that the training of doctors, nurses and other allied-health workers would increase their awareness of pain, types of pains, how to evaluate pains and pain treatment.

    According to the endocrine surgeon, six to seven out of 10 patients come to hospitals because of pain, and therefore, training of these health professionals will go a long way in achieving set goals.

    “Because of this, we have made pain evaluation the fifth vital signs chart in UCH as our major aim to reduce pains of patients to the barest minimum or to zero level.

    “The training of staff on pain types, identification, evaluation and treatment will go a long way in helping the PFHI project through the charts.

    “Any patient who comes in can begin to use the charts to score their pains which in turn will assist doctors to gauge and apply appropriate dose of analgesics on them.

    “The project will be launched at a yet-to-be announced date after training has been completed,” he said.

  • ‘Prevalence of malaria higher in children during rainy season’

    Prof. Catherine Falade, a Malariologist at the University College Hospital (UCH), says the prevalence of malaria is higher in under-five children during rainy season as a result of climate change.

    Falade, who is also a consultant Pharmacologist, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Ibadan on Wednesday.

    She has urged parents to take necessary measures in tackling malaria during the rainy season.

    According to her, children under 5 and 10 years should wear warm clothes to school and mothers should always endeavour to make their children sleep under mosquito treated nets.

    The expert explained that it is during rainy season that morbidity and mortality are on the increase as a result of malaria.

    She said managing malaria poses challenges in Nigeria year in year out, especially with the coming of the rainy season.

    “The World Health Organisation directed malaria intervention on the under-fives whose immunities are lower; this burden has now shifted to the under 10, who were hitherto neglected.

    “During rainy season, planters and farmers are sick, tourism suffers.

    “The multinational companies are also losing money due to absenteeism resulting from malaria attack.

    “The poor masses are also affected due to ineffective and costly way of treatment, which cannot be afforded by the parents.

    “Children also miss school. Absenteeism leads to lower Intelligent Quotient in a child, and loss or reduction in productivity of workers,” she said.

    The researcher further said that malaria has no particular symptom, adding that the only way to diagnose malaria is by microscopic system.

    “We have not mastered malaria microscopy in Nigeria. The National Malaria Treatment Policy in Nigeria does not allow malaria to be treated without first being diagnose through the microscope.

    “Treatment of malaria without microscopy is tantamount to incompetence and UCH research microscopists are hundred per cent efficient.

    “Health care givers should respect Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) results and use Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACT) which is the recommended WHO drugs for malaria.

    “ACTs are now being used by a higher number of people. It’s very efficacious, well tolerated and must be followed with a heavy meal,” she said.

     

  • Ajimobi mourns Olumide Bakare

    Ajimobi mourns Olumide Bakare

    Gov Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state has described the death of the late veteran actor, Olumide Bakare, as very unfortunate.

    The governor, in a statement signed by Mr Yomi Layinka, his Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy in Ibadan on Monday, commiserated with the family, friends and associates of the late actor on his death.

    “Although the late actor had been on admission at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan for a heart-related disease, we regret that he died at a time he considerably recuperated and was expected back in his favourite love of acting,” he said.

    Ajimobi described Bakare, who had featured in several films, as a versatile actor whose contributions to the development of the performing arts industry were immeasurable and long lasting.

    The governor said that Bakare was an artiste whose unmistakable voice and persona would be sorely missed by his fans worldwide.

    “Rather than mourning the deceased, the Ibadan-based actor should be celebrated for living a memorable life, both as an artiste and a family man,” he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Bakare was a former staff of the NTA, Ibadan.

    He was fondly called “Chief Koko” following his role in a TV series, ‘Koko Close’.

    Bakare reportedly died in the early hours of Saturday at the age of 65, after battling ill-health since 2013.

  • Mortuary attendant remanded in prison for stealing human skull

    Mortuary attendant remanded in prison for stealing human skull

    A 57-year old mortuary attendant, Mr Muritala Raimi, has been remanded in Agodi, Ibadan prison for allegedly stealing a human skull from the mortuary of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

    An Iyaganku Magistrate Court in Ibadan remanded Raimi after he failed to meet his bail conditions.

    The accused was arraigned on a two-count charge of stealing and misconduct.

    Though the court granted him bail in the sum of N200,000 with two sureties in the like sum and one of the sureties must be a member of the family, Raimi could not meet his bail conditions.

    He was arrested after allegedly decapitating the remains of an unknown deceased.

    Raimi, it was learnt, concealed the decapitated head in a bag but was caught on his way out. He allegedly tried to escape after realizing the game was up but was arrested by the police.

    The accused was taken to Yemetu Police Station, Ibadan.

    When he appeared before Magistrate Akanni Monsurat in court 4, Raimi pleaded ‘not guilty’ to the two-count charge.

    The charge sheet read in part: “That you Muritala Raimi, aged 57, on the 15th March, 2017 at about 05: 30pm at UCH Ibadan in Ibadan magisterial district did steal human skull inside UCH mortuary and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 3 of the criminal code cap 38 vol. 11 laws of Oyo State of Nigeria”.

    “That you Muritala Raimi on the same date, place in the aforementioned magisterial district did misconduct with regard to corpse by decapitating a corpse deposited at UCH mortuary and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 242 of the criminal code cap 38, vol. 11 laws of Oyo State”.

    Hearing was adjourned to May 15, 2017.

  • Man docked over attempt to commit suicide

    A 47-year-old man, Akeem Adeyemo, alleged to have attempted to commit suicide, on Tuesday appeared before an Oyo State Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting at Iyaganku, Ibadan.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adeyemo of Odinjo area, Ibadan, was arraigned on a two-count charge of attempting to commit suicide and publishing a fake suicide note.

    According to the Police prosecutor, Insp Sunday Ogunremi, the accused attempted suicide by consuming a powdery substance believed to be poisonous, on Feb. 27, 2009 at about 3 p. m.

    “As a result of which he was rushed to the University College Hospital (UCH) for treatment, ‘’ he said.

    Ogunremi accused Adeyemo of publishing a suicide note, directing that one Rauf Olaiya, should be held responsible for his death.

    “He did this with the intent to injure Olaiya’s reputation and to expose him to hatred and contempt; also to ridicule his profession being an Islamic cleric,’’ the prosecutor said.

    Ogunremi told the court that the offences contravened Sections 327and 374 and punishable under Section 375 of the Criminal Code Cap 38, Vol.II, Laws of Oyo State 2000.

    The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against him.

    The Chief Magistrate, Mrs Abiona Richard, granted him bail in the sum of N100,000 with two sureties, one of which must be a blood relation, in like sum.

    Richard, thereafter, adjourned the case until May 5 for mention.

     

  • Cancer now top most killer disease in UCH- CMD

    Cancer disease has been discovered to be the commonest killer disease at the University College Hospital (UCH),from 2012 till date based on a record from the mortuary.

    The Chief Medical Director (CMD), UCH,Prof Temitope Alonge disclosed this on Thursday during the commissioning of a Special Diagnostic Centre, donated to UCH by Alhaji Nurudeen Oluwasola.

    “In evaluating the causes of death that in 2012, we needed to know where to focus attention as regard what is really causing major death of our patients, but it turn out that in 2012 infection was the commonest cause of death, but then we discover that cancer related death was becoming constant, so we decided to visit the oldest cancer institute in the world to find out how they manage to sustain their excellence and offer cancer care in 100 years and it turn out that they have a research centre that gives result back to the clinical section to let them know the pattern of the cancer and treatment modality that should be targeted.

    “Before now we have treatment carried out in hospitals and they tell you this is the treatment modality for a particular disease, however we know that not one cancer is the same with another one.” he said

    Alonge said the new diagnostic centre will be able to define the character and attitude of the cancers, noting that the kind of treatment that can work and the treatment that cannot work will also be specified.

    According to the UCH boss, This centre can now target treatment of every cancer and it is an individualistic approach to cancer care.

    He went further that:”In the healthcare delivery model, the ultimate aim is to have patient who have gone into an hospital, better treated, comfortable with treatment giving to them and are coming out happy and smiling. This centre allows us better diagnostic targeted at a particular treatment of a disease rather than giving generalistic treatment approach to a disease.

    “It will also allow us to know if a patient have a low or high survival rate with all the type of tests that will be conducted here. We are proud recipient of the generousity of Alh Nurudeen Oluwasola who has deem it fit to support this institution to provide target treatment protocols for cancer.”

    Alonge said that the test to be carried out by patients at the centre are cheap and affordable.

    He appealed to other well meaning Nigerians to support the centre in procuring other equipment that will make the centre to be more effective.

    In his remark, the Director of the Centre, Dr Abideen Oluwasola said the centre plans to evolve into a centre of excellence in offering a host of preventive and clinical diagnostic services as well as state of the art research opportunities.

    He said the centre will promote multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary partnership to foster a healthy and harmonious atmosphere for quality and excellent heathcare delivery in all fields of clinical care.

  • Ibadan protest: Two pupils in hospital

    A new angle has emerged in the protest by secondary school pupils in Ibadan Monday as two of the protesters have landed at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

    The Nation learnt that the pupils were taken to the UCH because sympathizers could no longer handle their state of health after the protest.

    Confirming the incident, the Head of Public Relations of the hospital, Mr Ayodeji Bobade, said the two boys were admitted Monday.

    He said they were still receiving treatment, adding that they were stable and still alive as at press time.