15112022

Investment in medical equipment key
to management of NCDs — EXPERTS
By Chioma Obinna
AS Nigeria accelerates ac
tion to reduce the proliferation
of non-communicable
diseases, expert has said
that reliable diagnostic equipment
and devices play a crucial
role in the proper management
of Non-Communicable
Diseases, NCDs, in Nigeria.
The head of the Healthcare
Division, PPC Ltd, Dr.
Chikara Nwoke said the deployment
of innovative
healthcare technology will
enable early diagnosis and
detection of these life-threatening
diseases.
Nwoke, Nigeria's leading
engineering and infrastructure
Development Company
with footprints across
Nigeria's healthcare landscape.
NCDs like cancer, diabetes,
chronic respiratory infections
and cardiovascular diseases,
which accounts for 74 per cent
of deaths globally according
to WHO, are on the rise in
Nigeria. In developing countries,
these severe health conditions
impact adversely on
the working population cutting
down on productivity and
overall economic output.
According to Nwoke, a
multifaceted approach is urgently
required to stem the
tide of rising NCD's and
should involve both the development
of human capital
and procurement of medical
facility to effectively cater for
the prevention, diagnosis,
The Executive Director & Founder, Intersex Nigeria, Obioma Chukwuike (3rd
from left) with participants at the conference to mark the 2022 Intersex Awareness
Day, at Amber Residence, in Lagos.
treatment and continuous
management of these diseases.
He said:"NCD's are silent
killers and can exist in the human
body and remain undetected
for a long time". Recommendations
for regular
health checkup and appropriate
clinical investigations are
critical to obtaining the right
clinical diagnosis which is an
important aspect of the management
of the disease condition.
However, there are instances
of misdiagnosis and
such can occur due to improper
understanding of the
patient's health problem.
An accurate investigation
and timely diagnosis by a
trained clinician can save the
day. "We need to prioritize the
early diagnosis, and treatment
of non-communicable diseases,
especially among the
vulnerable and poor, by formulating
public policy that
addresses its prevention, early
diagnosis and treatment.
More than ever before, we
need to address the contributory
risk factors, and ensure all
people, no matter where they
live, have access to quality
clinical investigation and
treatment".
Nwoke stated that all these
are achievable with better investment
in quality diagnos-
tic equipment that help clinicians
make accurate diagnosis.
According to him, investment
in medical equipment
such as Computed Tomography
(CT) or MRI equipment,
well equipped clinical laboratories
and highly trained
medical personnel are nonnegotiable
for the proper
management of the disease.
PPC Healthcare is committed
to improving healthcare
outcomes through the deployment
of state-of the-art
medical equipment for clinical
investigation, diagnosis
and treatment across
healthcare facilities in every
state of the Federation.
Egbin Power conducts free medical outreach for
host communities
By Deborah Ariyo
IN its continuous effort to
wards promoting quality
health and sustainability,
Egbin Power Plc has carried
out free medical outreach for
members of its host communities
in Egbin, Ipakan and
Ijede.
The three-day medical outreach,
which catered for more
than 4,000 people offered
cardiovascular check-up,
diabetes screening, dental
care and medications to beneficiaries.
Head of Corporate Communications
and Branding,
Egbin Power Plc. Felix
Ofulue, said the company is
committed to driving
sustainability, people empowerment
and promoting
the welfare of members of its
host communities in line with
its CSR intervention
programme.
The outreach was facilitated
in partnership with Cecy
Health Consult, a professional
healthcare company
and it provided members of
host communities' access to
quality health examination
and free medication conducted
by certified health
practitioners.
"Our CSR initiatives are devoted
to benefitting and improving
the quality of life
within the community. This
initiative started in 2019 in
our host communities and
thousands of residents of
these communities have benefitted.
We are quite pleased
with the turn out this year.”
Speaking, the Leader of the
facilitating Health team and
Managing Director of Cecy
Health Consult, Dr. Yomi
Jaiye commended Egbin
Power Plc for making it a
Better life for rural dwellers as NYSC,
IFAN partner on healthcare
By Sola Ogundipe
BETTER life awaits com
munity dwellers and the
ageing as the National
Youth Service Corps,
NYSC, in collaboration
with the International Federation
of Aging Nigeria,
IFAN, are providing
healthcare through mobile
hospitals and clinics.
The Director, Community
Development Service and
Special Projects (CDS/SP),
Abdulrazaq Salawu, said
the project would help in
improving the lives of
people at the grassroots,
and in achieving Universal
Health Coverage, UHC, in
the country.
Salawu, who spoke on
Thursday during the Integrated
National Mobile/
Field Hospital initiative for
Humanitarian Intervention
and Social Response
Project/ Partnership outreach
meeting, said the initiative
was timely as 70 percent
of Nigerians live in the
rural communities even as
point of duty to promote
wellness in its host communities
consistently over the years.
The Medical Officer of Health
in Ijede LCDA, Dr. Tajudeen
Saheed, said, "Even though we
have primary and secondary
the number of the aged was
on the increase.
He noted that since its creation
in 1973, the NYSC has
produced enough graduates
in medicine and other disciplines
that can adequately
provide services when the
programme flags off.
On his part, the National
Coordinator IFAN, Ike
Willie-Nwobu who noted
that the journey started in
January 1999, said the national
programme was
aimed at utilising extensively,
the massive human
capital deposit with the
NYSC, in delivering health
services in the most cost effective
and efficient way.
"It will be a health quick
service support framework
for Universal Health Coverage,
primary health care,
roadside clinics and vehicles
to deliver national
health/humanitarian standby-force
with capacity and
content to Healthcare Entrepreneurship
Initiative
(HEI), poverty reduction and
employment generation.
health centres within the
LCDA, it is important to note
that this initiative of the power
company is free and accessible
to all.
The Leader and Baale of
Ipakan Community, Chief
Willie-Nwobu said they
planned to be among those
with the largest hospitals in
the country.
"The NYSC-IFAN mobile
healthcare initiative will
help to optimise/maximise
our huge extensive
Diasporas; harness the skill/
wisdom of senior medical/
healthcare professionals
through inter-generational
relationship with the youth,
and promote the culture of
volunteerism, community
development and corporate
social responsibility in our
national health care delivery-
a major culture/system
of developing and enhancing
national resilience."
He decried the pitiable
situation where most rural
dwellers struggle to access
medical facilities.
The Corps in its efforts to
improve access, ensure the
professionals in relevant
fields were taken to a particular
community within
one LGA to treat health
cases for the year of their national
service.
Vanguard, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2022 — 23
WMA urges physicians to
report inappropriate working
conditions, violence
By Gabriel Olawale
NO less than 10,000 ado
lescent girls from nine
communities in Ado Odo/
Ota Local Government Area
of Ogun State have been
trained by the Society for
Family Health, SFH, on
healthy lives as well as creation
of brighter future
they desire.
The capacity building
programme for the in and out
of school children was implemented
by Society for Family
Health with funding from
TotalEnergies and partners.
The exercise also equipped
mothers with skills to improve
relationship with their
teenage daughters.
Speaking at the end of the
first phase of the project titled,
'Adolescent 360-
TotalEnergies Health & Economic
Empowerment Project
(A360- THEEP)', SFH
Deputy Managing Director,
Programmes and Strategy,
Dr. Jennifer Anyanti said,
"The A360-THEEP Project
was adapted from the existing
A360 9JA Girls Program
for unmarried girls which
uses a life mapping exercise
and vocational training as
entry point for conversations
about reproductive health
and achieving life goals.
"The project focuses on
adolescent girls between the
age of 15 to 19 years and
mothers. During the Love,
Life and Health Skill Classes
By Chioma Obinna
WORRIED about the
working conditions of
medical doctors worldwide,
the World Medical Association
has urged physicians
worldwide to report any form
of inappropriate working
conditions and violence
against them to the appropriate
authorities and the National
Medical Association.
Making the call during the
Annual Assembly of the
Swedish Medical Association
held at the Radisson Blu
Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden,
the President, of WMA, Dr
Osahon Enabilele, also urged
physicians to ensure their welfare,
well-being and working
conditions are given top priority
even as they carry out
their responsibilities.
Addressing Swedish Physicians,
Osahon who assessed
the Health System challenges
faced in various parts of the
world, said the WMA will
continue to advocate for the
strengthening of health systems
across the world.
"The lessons from the
COVID-19 pandemic show
that unless and until the
healthcare systems are
strengthened, physicians may
not be able to provide the best
of care to patients.
"So, it is incumbent on us to
continuously charge governments
all over the world to
strengthen their health systems
and provide enabling
working conditions for physicians
and other members of
the health work
"Tied to that is what we have
seen across the world, increasing
cases of violence
against physicians. We've seen
across the world a tendency
by physicians to get discouraged,
to lose confidence in the
system as a result of the disabling
working conditions
they find themselves in, as a
result of the violence against
them either by patients or patients'
relatives.
"These observations and experiences
informed the
WMA's recent revision of the
international code of medical
ethics.
I charge all of you to find
space and time to go through
the revised code, as it seeks to
provide some solutions to
some of the contending challenges
that we all face in
today's world.
"The code appropriately obligates
physicians to report
cases of violence and acts of
abuse against them, and to
report inappropriate working
conditions they find themselves.
"The code also obligates
physicians to look after their
well-being, health and abilities,
and to seek care when
necessary."
According to the WMA
boss, physicians across the
world should stop working in
inappropriate and indecent
working conditions.
In his words," an ill physician
or a physician delivering
care in indecent working conditions
or other constraining
circumstances, can not deliver
quality patient care, the
same way an ill President,
Prime Minister or Political
Leader cannot deliver quality
leadership to the people."
Stakeholders train
10,000 adolescent girls
in healthy life tips
(LLH), adolescent girls were
trained on menstrual hygiene,
HIV/AID counseling& testing,
STI syndromic treatment
and management, mental
and Sexual Health.
Head, Project Support Unit
Society for Family Health,
Pharm. Jane Adizue, said that
the choice of young girls for
the project was in line with the
popular slogan, Catch them
young and watch them grow.
8 and 17.
State Programme Manager
for the project, Ibrahim
Hamzat Ibrahim said that
12,449 girls were reached by
mobilizers while 7,272 girls
attended the programme and
2,962 girls attended LLH
classes. "The total of girls referred
to the facilities was
5,675 while 3,776 accessed
care. 2,834 girls were counselled
while 274 girls were
treated for STI."
On her part, the Business
Development & Projects
Manager, Corporate Social
Responsibility for
TotalEnergies, Mrs.
Moyosola Areola said that
following a thorough needs
assessment, TotalEnergies
and partners collaborated
with SFH to develop the Adolescent
360-TotalEnergies
Health and Economic empowerment
Project which targets
young adolescent girls
between the ages of 15-19
years by leveraging on sustainable
development goals 1,
2, 3, 5, 8 and 17.