60 Million Poor Nigerians To Enjoy Free Medical Care

The Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, has given the assurance that 60 million poor Nigerians will enjoy unfettered medical care under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration within the next two years.

The Minister who said this during his visit to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti, added that 10,000 health facilities would be built in 774 Local Government across the country for effective service delivery to the people.

While promising that the government would pay them their dues, Prof. Adewole also advised all health workers not to see strike as the only option for negotiation.

Heartbreaking video shows what happens to babies born addicted to drugs

AdClorissa sorted her life out while she was pregnant with Braxton — but her first child was taken away. Picture: Reuters

Six-month-old Braxton Jones shakes uncontrollably after being born dependant on methadone — the drug mum Clorissa was using to ween herself off heroin.

The tot has been forced to overcome withdrawal symptoms such as tremors and oversensitivity, and still has trouble feeding.

He is one of more than 130,000 children born hooked on drugs in the US in the past decade.

Clorissa has now been enrolled in a hospital program for mums battling addiction in Baltimore, Maryland.

She said: “I know Braxton saved my life in the fact that I was able to stay clean through my whole pregnancy and I’m still clean right now.

#LASSA UPDATE: Stop Consuming Soaked Garri; Medical Workers Union Warns Nigerians. . .

The Medical and Health Workers Union, Lagos State council, on Saturday, said that it would embark on public enlightenment to discourage drinking of garri for now to prevent Lassa fever.

According to Mr Razak Adeofalade, Chairman of the union, the house rats that caused Lassa fever are mostly in contact with Nigerian most staple food, garri, a cassava product.

“We are going to encourage members of the public to stop drinking garri at this moment, it is better that the cassava flour is utilised for ‘eba’ because of the use of hot water.

We are waging total war and that is: ‘War against Rats,’ and that is what we are going to do to ensure we do not have another victim of Lassa fever in the state.

We will also be telling them to ensure that their fruits and raw vegetables are properly washed if they must be consumed raw and cook to the appropriate temperature.

Lagos State Experiences first case of Lassa fever in LUTH

There's report reaching us that the 1st case #LassaFever in Lagos has been confirmed in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital #LUTH today

It is reported that the case, which was diagnosed at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, involves a 25-year-old student from the Ahmadu Bello University.

This was disseminated by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC) of the teaching hospital; "The first confirmed case of Lassa fever now in the Accident & Emergency unit. Patient isolated, containment area being devised, ribavirin available. No need to panic. But limit movement to A&E if not necessary. Our trained staff on ground. More info soon."

The patient is said to have been admitted first at a private hospital in Ojokoro area of Lagos State.

According to the Minister of Health, Professor Isaac Adewole, the patient is responding to treatment.

Please #ProtectYourself

UK Doctors go on Strike Over Changes to Contracts

Tens of thousands walk out over government proposals to amend contracts that doctors say will remove safeguards.

Tens of thousands of junior doctors have gone on strike in England over government plans to amend their contracts, the first walkout of its kind in 40 years.

The move on Tuesday follows months of negotiations to avert industrial action between the British Medical Association (BMA), which represents the doctors, and the Department of Health.

The Lagos State to Probe Maternal Deaths in Public Hospitals

The Lagos State House of Assembly says it is worried about alleged high maternal mortality rate in government hospitals supposedly caused by personnel negligence, among other factors.

The Assembly added that it had put machinery in motion towards investigating the trend, with a view to finding a lasting solution to it.

The Chairman of the Assembly’s Committee on Health Services, Olusegun Olulade, who said this on Friday, explained that his committee would pay scheduled and unscheduled visits to general hospitals in Lagos State in order to establish the truth of the allegation.

Olulade spoke while addressing a petition brought before the committee by Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, a non-governmental organisation with focus on supporting women’s sexual and reproductive rights.

Minister tasks Resident Doctors on Industrial Hamony

The Minister of State Labour and Employment, James Ocholi has called on Resident Doctors to support the Federal Government’s efforts at ensuring industrial peace and harmony in the health sector.

The minister stated this when he received an award of Ambassador of Conscience and Notary Personality from the Association of Resident Doctors FCT chapter in his office.

Speaking further, Ocholi reiterated the commitment of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to the promotion of decent employment and enhancement of welfare of the Nigerian workers.

Earlier in his remarks, the President of the Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria FCT chapter, Dr. Isaac Olubanjo Akere urged him to use his legal background to bear in the discharge of his responsibility as a minister in the labour sector.

Press Briefing on the Outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria by the Honourable Minister of Health.

Press Briefing on the Outbreak of Lassa fever in Nigeria by the Honourable Minister of Health - Prof. Isaac F. Adewole

I wish to begin this press briefing by wishing the citizens of Nigeria a Happy and Prosperous New Year, and to allay their fears on the current epidemic outbreaks of a Haemorrhagic Fever now confirmed by our laboratories to be Lassa Fever Viral Disease.

The public is hereby assured that the government and its partners, and other stakeholders are working tirelessly to address the outbreak and bring it to timely end.

It is important that I notify the nation through you, that in the last 6 weeks Nigeria has been experiencing Lassa fever (LF) outbreak which has so far affected 10 states. The States affected include Bauchi, Nassarawa, Niger, Taraba, Kano, Rivers, Edo, Plateau, Gombe and Oyo States. 

The total number so far reported is 81 and 35 deaths, with a mortality rate of 43.2%. Our laboratories have confirmed 17 cases, indicative of a new roundtrip of Lassa fever outbreak.

The first case of the current outbreak was reported from Bauchi in November, 2015. This was followed by cases reported by Kano State, and subsequently the other states mentioned above.

THE BEATITUDES OF HEALTHY LIVING

The beatitudes of old were blessed up on a mountainside, but now you need not go up on a mountain to know this. All you need do is read and act, at the comfort of your home, office, wherever and whenever.

And these I speak unto you. . .

• Blessed are those who wash their hands regularly, for they shall be free from infections.

• Blessed are those who eat greens, for they shall keep their teeth.

• Blessed are those who exercise, for they shall lose weight and keep fit.

• Blessed are those who get adequate sleep, for they shall renew their minds and bodies.

Meet the World Oldest Sickle Cell Patient.

The oldest sickle cell patient in the world is a Nigerian, by name ASIATA ONIKOYI-LAGUDA, who celebrated her 90th birthday first of November last year.

She is a mother with 5 children and has gone to mecca 13 times.

Onikoyi was born in November 1925, at a time when the average life expectancy of people living with sickle cell disorder was just five years, but she has defied the odds to live up to 90.

She was born in the same year as Margaret Thatcher, first female British prime minister, Malcolm X, the African-American civil rights activist and Idi Amin Dada, Ugandan dictator, older than ‘all’ known (documented) sickle cell patients in the world.

As recently as 1973, the average lifespan for people with sickle cell disease was only 14 years.