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Tag: University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH)

  • Ramadan: Ulcer patients can observe fasting with caution, says Surgeon

    A Consultant Plastic Surgeon with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Prof Ismail Adigun says ulcer patients can observe Ramadan fast by avoiding foods that cause them problems.

    Adigun told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview on Saturday in Ilorin, that ulcer patients should be able to realise the type of food that precipitate the ulcer in them.

    He said that some ulcer patients react to fried foods, while some react to roughage foods such as garri.

    The Surgeon advise people to reduce the consumption of hot, spicy and acidic-containing foods as they tend to irritate the digestive tract.

    According to him, the best alternative for ulcer patients who want to fast, is to vary their food intake throughout Ramadan to include all the essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, fat, vitamins and fibres.

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    He warned that fried, fatty and acid-containing foods and fruits such as citrus fruits like lemons, limes, grapefruits and oranges, along with tomato-based products contain acids.

    “Therefore, patients should be moderate when breaking their fast, eating in smaller portions, but more frequently.

    “For instance, start off with dates and light food before giving it a rest, later it can followed by the main meal,” he said .

    Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, during which it is obligatory for all healthy adult Muslims to fast during daytime.

    According to Islamic rules, those who cannot fast due to illness or who have severe discomfort during fasting are exempted from Ramadan fast.

  • Four family members die, after `Amala’ meal

    Four members of a family in Ilorin were feared dead after the consumption of `Amala’ meal, suspected to be poisonous.

    lt was reported that four others who took from the meal, had also been hospitalised at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).

    The incident happened at Magaji-Ogo community behind Kwara State College of Arabic and Islamic Legal Studies, in Ilorin West Local Government Area.

    A source told  our reporter that the victims took the meal on Sunday night before three of them were found dead the following morning.

    According to him, the fourth casualty, who was the head of the family, died on Wednesday.

    “Those feared dead are the family head, his sister and two children, while those recuperating in the hospital are the mother and three other children.

    “The corpses of the deceased had been buried in accordance with Islamic rite. They were eight that took the meal.

    “Though we are not sure yet of the cause of death, the meal was taken alongside amphibian and there is a suspicion that they died of poisoning.

    “Officials from the state Ministry of Health were in the community to take samples of the meal for test but nothing was yet to be said of the findings,’’ the source said.

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    The family, our reporter learnt, is an extension of the District Head of Adewole, popularly known as Alangua Adewole in Ilorin.

    Meanwhile, Dr Oluwatosin Fakayode, Di rector, Public Health and Disease Control in the state Ministry of Health, confirmed the incident.

    He, however, said that the ministry was yet to identify the cause of the “ugly and unfortunate occurrence.”

    Fakayode told  our reporter that samples from the meal were taken for laboratory investigation, which would be out within the next 24 hours.

    “As it stands, it is difficult to say the cause until the result is out.

    “However, we are definite that it is food poison because of the symptoms, but we are not sure of the food item that is culpable.

    “We learnt they took these amphibian that they hawk around with it. So we are not sure if it is the source of the death because some of them are poisonous.

    “Though we have not identified the culprit in terms of whether it is organism or chemical, definitely, it is a symptom of food poison.

    “But our suspicion is the amphibian. It could be preservatives that were used on the items that were used for the meal,’’ he said.

    When a  our correspondent sought confirmation of the Police in Kwara on the incident, its spokesman, DSP Ajayi Okasanmi, said the command was not aware of the incident.

  • Resident doctors resume work at UITH

    Resident doctors resume work at UITH

    The National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) chapter, said on Saturday that it had resumed work.

    Dr Ige Alexander, the chapter chairman told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Ilorin that the resident doctors resumed work at UITH on Friday.

    NAN reports that the association went on a nationwide strike on Sept. 4.

    Alexander assured patients of the union’s preparedness to care for their health and wellbeing, as according to him, resident doctors do most of the work in the hospitals.

    “We constitute the largest workforce even though, we work under the consultants, such is the duty of the resident doctors and we are committed to it,” he said.

    He recalled that NARD had conciliatory meetings with the Federal Government during which they deliberated on the approaches to address the grievances of the association.

    “Basically, our agitation borders on the payment of salaries and if that is resolved, we don not have any reason to embark on strike,” he said.

    Ige said that the Federal Government promised the union that there would be no more shortfalls in their salaries commencing from September.

    He also said that the government had promised to resolve the issue of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), and that the payment of October salaries would be made through it.

  • Gynaecologist warns against oral sex

    Gynaecologist warns against oral sex

    Prof. Adegboyega Fawole of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), has warned that Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) has been found in the throat of people engaging in oral sex.

    Fawole, who is of the Department of Gynaecology, UITH told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ilorin on Tuesday that HPV was mostly sexually transmitted.

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    He said that the virus caused almost all cases of cervical cancer and could cause genital warts and anal cancer.

    “Oral sex has been linked with an increased risk of acquiring HPV infection in the mouth and with an increased risk of developing oral cancers that are caused by HPV.

    “However, sex in general has also been linked with these risks,” he said.

    The gynaecologist warned that those engaging in oral sex were twice more likely to have oral HPV infection than those who did not engage in oral sex.

    Fawole, however, said there was no need for individuals in monogamous relationships to restrict their sexual activities if the pair was in good health.

    He called on people to always go for screening and check-up to guard against cancer of any kind.

  • Doctors Strike: Mixed reactions in Asaba, Ilorin

    Doctors Strike: Mixed reactions in Asaba, Ilorin

    National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) chapter yesterday joined the indefinite strike over alleged cut in salaries.

    NARD  UITH President Ige Alexander, told reporter in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, that out of the 54 teaching hospitals in the federation, the UITH doctors received the least wages.

    Dr Alexander said: “The management of the UITH keeps on slashing our salaries since January 2014 and we are forced to contribute a fraction of the salary which management said is a palliative contribution.

    “We believe contributions should be willingly done and not mandatory. When we complain, we are met with threats.”

    He maintained that UITH resident doctors would use all necessary means to ensure justice.

    “Corruption is no more a big word in Nigeria, we appeal to the Senate to establish a committee to probe the teaching hospitals and see what is going on.

    “We are ready to press legal action and even petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and ICPC,” he said.

    He noted that some of the agitation by the national body of NARD include withdrawal of circular reversing skipping, enrollment of all doctors into IPPIS, payment of arrears of salary shortfall and prevention of further shortfall among others.

    But the action failed yesterday at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Asaba, Delta State where activities were in full swing despite the indefinite strike called by NARD.

    There was initial apprehension among patients when NARD announced an indefinite strike as the health facility had lately been plagued by strike.

    However, the institution’s branch of NARD complied with the stay at home directive of the union’s national body.

    Chairman of NARD at Asaba FMC, Dr. Nosa Uwugiaren, who spoke on phone said his members fully complied with order to embark on industrial action.

    Uwugiaren said resident doctors at the institution would not resume work until there is a contrary order from the national executive.

    However, the presence of other care givers including consultants, nurses and student doctors ensured the impact of the strike was not felt.

    Normal activities were ongoing including patients being taken on admission.

    A nurse who spoke under anonymous condition said the strike by a section of health workers could not paralyse activities at the hospital.

    She said: “Patients are being attended to, those to be admitted are taken on admission. The consultants who are actually the owners of the patients are not on strike. Other health workers are also not on strike, so we will do our best to fill the vacuum created by the absence of resident doctors.”

  • PSN calls on FG to increase scope of NHIS

    PSN calls on FG to increase scope of NHIS

    Mr Ahmed Yakassai, President of Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), has called on Federal Government to extend the scope of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover more people at the grassroots.

    Yakassai made the call in Ilorin on Tuesday at the 2017 Pharmacy Week of Kwara State branch of PSN.

    The President of PSN was represented by Mr Lanre Alege of the Pharmacy Department, University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).

    Yakassai explained that inclusion of more people at the grassroots would afford the rural dwellers the opportunity to have access to quality healthcare services at affordable prices.

    “The Federal Government must live up to its responsibilities as the health sector needs serious turn around, ‘’he said.

    Yakassai revealed that there was a ratio of one person to 4,000 pharmacists in Nigeria.

    He pledged that the Nigerian Pharmacists would do everything possible to support the government in ensuring that NHIS scheme achieve the purpose for which it was established.

    “As a body saddled with the responsibility of dispensing and administering drugs among others, we have held series of meetings and consultations with relevant agencies.

    ‘’This is toward ensuring that safety and standard are not compromised,” he said.

    Speaking on the theme: “Quality Healthcare in Economic Recession: Role of Pharmacists,” Yakassai said the topic was apt.

    He said as people were striving to cope with the economic downtown, the provision of quality healthcare could not be compromised.

    PSN President commended Kwara Government for renovating five General Hospitals in the state and working to do more.

    In his address of welcome, the State Chairman of PSN, Mr Olayiwola Olusola commended the State House of Assembly for passing State Health Insurance Bill and the setting up of a committee for its implementation when passed into law by the Governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed.

    The Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Ahmed Raji, described economic recession in the country as a good avenue for people to think outside the box and be more creative and innovative.

    Raji is also the chairman of Kwara Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KWACCIMA)

  • Meningitis: Kwara yet to record any case – Commissioner

    Dr Atolagbe Alege, the Commissioner for Health in Kwara, said on Tuesday that the state has not recorded any case of Type ‘C’ Cerebrospinal meningitis, currently affecting some parts of the country.

    Alege told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Ilorin that the state government is being proactive as regard the outbreak of the meningitis.

    “We are proactive in the state as regards the outbreak of meningitis in other parts of the country,” he said.

    He said the state was closely monitoring developments and had held a meeting with its epidemiology and disease control officers on March 31.

    The commissioner said that the meeting was to ensure all the 16 Local Government Areas of the state are sensitised to the disease and also report any cases that may occur.

    Alege said the state ministry also had meetings with the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and the Department of Public Health on preventive measures and effective sensitisation methods.

    “We are at alert; and we are pulling our resources together,” he said.

    Also speaking with NAN on the issue, Dr Uthman Mubashir, a Public Health Physician at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), urged Nigerians to be vigilant and report symptoms such as fever, stiff neck and seizure.

    Other symptoms Mubashir listed are: moulted skin, cold hands and feet; as well as severe headache among others.

    The physician also advised members of the public to live in well ventilated environments, warning them to avoid over-crowded places.

    Mubashir described meningitis as the swelling of brain and spinal cord membranes, which could be due to viral, fungal or bacterial infection.

    He, however, said the disease was commonly caused by a virus; and that the most lethal strain was the bacterial meningitis.

    The expert also explained that early diagnosis and treatment could prevent complications and potential long-term effects.

    The physician added that vaccination could help prevent infection by the disease, but not all types of meningitis.

  • Recession: Patients resort to self-medication –UITH CMD

    Recession: Patients resort to self-medication –UITH CMD

    The biting economic condition in the country,as been revealed as the reason for self-medication by patients.

    This was revealed by Prof. Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH),on Saturday at the 2016 SERVICOM customers/stakeholders’ interactive forum held at Ilorin.

    He observed that the health care needs of many residents within and outside the state capital, Ilorin have been badly affected.

    Olatinwo, who was represented by the Chief, Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Mikail Buhari, lamented the severe toll the economic recession has had on the financial capacity of many households.

    He said that some people could no longer properly take care of their health needs.

    He narrated the experiences witnessed at the UITH which he described as a “worrying trend” in which the hospital often become helpless to handle cases of patients who resort to self-medication.

    “Some people have even resorted to unhygienic herbal usage or other cheaper alternatives on account of inability to pay the hospital bills.”

    Olatinwo regretted that the patients often visit the hospital when they are already in a very bad state.

    He observed that what often follows this are long and costly hospital stays with the accumulation of huge bills which they cannot afford.

    “We are seeing people walking into our facility without a Kobo in their pockets.

    “Even term pregnancies, with all the time in the world to plan for it, are brought here with no means of paying for service,” he said.

    He added that the hospital had to adjust the cost of some of the services to reflect the new reality.

    Olatinwo said that the hospital still shoulders a substantial fraction of the burden by providing affordable healthcare to the people.

    The CMD, therefore, stressed the determination of the management to continue its efforts on total quality care that guarantees patient, staff and students satisfaction.