Nigeria Joins the world to celebrate the World Diabetic Day.

World Diabetes Day (WDD) is celebrated every year on November 14. The World Diabetes Day campaign is led by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and its member associations. It engages millions of people worldwide in diabetes advocacy and awareness. World Diabetes Day was created in 1991 by the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organization in response to growing concerns about the escalating health threat that diabetes now poses.

Exercise During Pregnancy Can Boost Your Baby’s Brain

Doctors measured babies' brain activity for a study on exercise in pregnancy. (Credit: Courtesy University of Montreal )

For women who are pregnant, as little as 20 minutes of exercise three times per week can advance a newborn’s brain activity, according to a new study.

Researchers at the University of Montreal presented these findings at the Neuroscience 2013 conference in San Diego on Sunday, providing moms-to-be with even more reasons to make exercise a priority.

Lagos State Hospital to Begin Kidney Transplants

A Lagos Assemblyman, Mr. Suru Avoseh, has said the state government will soon commence comprehensive kidney treatment in one of the state hospitals.

Avoseh, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, said this, yesterday, in Lagos.

The lawmaker said such facility would allow the citizens to have quick access to kidney treatment and transplant.
“Lagos State is up to the task; if you go to Gbagada General Hospital, you will see the just commissioned Trauma and Burns Centre; I believe it is the first of its kind in the whole federation.

“You will also see the Cardiac and Renal Centre, which is about to be commissioned and by the time it is handed over it will be one of the best,” he said.

Avoseh said the citizens would enjoy the resources here in Nigeria instead of travelling to India, Britain, or the U.S. for kidney problems or transplant.

He said the facilities would be available to everyone to have contact with the medical doctors who would be giving professional advice to the kidney patients. -VANGUARD

On the Cholera Epidemic in Nigeria

A Child with Cholera

In light of the current cholera epidemic in Nigeria which, unfortunately, has afflicted at least 373 people (causing 74 deaths), The Wellbeing Foundation wishes to share information with all and sundry, from individuals to government bodies, on the public health issue of cholera, and why we urgently need to get the epidemic under control, including through easily achievable steps.

Nigeria Govt To Launch Online Database Of Health Facilities, Specialists.

Health Minister Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu

THis we think is long over due in this time and age of internet....

The effort is aimed at curbing medical tourism

The Federal Government said on Friday a web-based directory of all health care facilities and specialists in Nigeria was underway as part of its effort to curb medical tourism.

Health Minister, Onyebuchi Chukwu, said this at the 21st Annual General Meeting (AGM) and Scientific Conference of the Guild of Medical Directors of Private Hospitals in Abuja.

Nigeria Physician Week 2013

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The 2013 Physicians week (Doctors and Dentists) was formally opened in Abuja, Nigeria to great exhilaration of all the participants. 

The Physicians week is an annual event when doctors and dentists, old and young, re-dedicate themselves to the ethos and ethics of our dear and noble profession.  This year is different because in addition to reading the modern Hippocratic oath (2nd WMA General Assembly 1948), the current NMA National Officers Committee & National Executive Committee under the most dynamic leadership of Dr Osahon Enabulele as President, decided to run the week with its own theme and sub-theme. 

FG Abandons N80m HIV/AIDS Equipment In Lagos Port Since 2009

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The Korean government has protested to the Federal Government  over the alleged abandonment of N80million worth of  HIV/AIDS equipment it donated to the country.

The equipment was shipped into the country in 2009, but the Federal Ministry of Health has not concluded clearance at the port in the last four years.

Minister Blames Constitution for Faulty Health Sector

Prof. Eyitayo Lambo

A former Minister of Health, Prof. Eyitayo Lambo, has faulted the 1999 constitution with regard to the health sector, saying it does not  spell out the roles of all the tiers of government.

He also advocated the introduction of health insurance scheme for the private and public sectors of the economy, if the country is to achieve universal health coverage.

COMMUNIQUE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF RESIDENT DOCTORS OF NIGERIA (NARD) AFTER AN EXTRA-ORDINARY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING

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Please do not ask me, if there was any positive outcome of the strike. This is the story so far:

PREAMBLE

The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria {NARD} held an extra-ordinary National Executive council (NEC) meeting on Thursday 24th October 2013 at the Conference hall of the Parkview Hotel Umited, Wuse Zone 1 Abuja, to reappraise the just suspended 3 weeks strike action embarked on by the association on 1st day of October 2013.

The NEC resolved as follows:

Mercury-Free Healthcare by 2020

WHO calls for the phase out of mercury fever thermometers and blood pressure measuring devices by 2020

WHO and Health Care without Harm have joined forces to launch a new initiative to get mercury removed from all medical measuring devices by 2020. The initiative Mercury-Free Healthcare by 2020, launched today to mark the signing of the Minamata Convention on Mercury, calls for the phase out of mercury fever thermometers and blood pressure devices containing mercury. This will be done by ending the manufacture, import and export of these devices and by supporting the deployment of accurate, affordable, and safer non-mercury alternatives. Mercury and its various compounds are of global public health concern and have a range of serious health impacts including brain and neurological damage especially among the young. Others include kidney damage and damage to the digestive system.

Health insurance for Lagosians

Dr Akintade (middle) with executive members of the association. From left: Auditor, Joshua Ajewole; member, Olawale Oladibu, Vice Chairman, Mrs Abiola Ozieh; Chairman, Publicity Secretary, Akujuobi Igwe and Rev. Sis Rita Ogidan at the briefing.

Lagos residents are to enjoy a health insurance scheme, Community Based Social Health Insurance Programme (CHIBSP).

According to the Chairman, Healthcare Providers’ Association of Nigeria (HCPAN), Lagos branch, Dr Shehu T. Akintade, at a briefing on its forthcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), the government has concluded plans to initiate CBSHIP in the state.

He said: “Even though it is starting as a pilot programme at designated local government areas, if Lagos gets this programme running well, other states will buy into it and plan the health of their citizens, with consequent improvement of health indices of Nigeria as a whole.”

Dr. Deji a.k.a NFA....Fulfils childhood dream as Sport Doctor

Dr Deji Olarinoye aka NFA.

We your colleagues and alma mata of University of Ilorin are proud of you boy. Keep living the dream.

Dreams, indeed, diehard for Deji Olarinoye, following his transition from a ball boy to the Golden Eaglets’ physician at the 2013 UAE FIFA Under-17 World Cup.

It all looks like yesterday when a blue-eyed boy served as a ball boy during a crucial 1994 World Cup qualifier against Algeria at the National Stadium in Lagos. That experience was a turning point for the younger Olarinoye who vowed not to do anything in life other than a career in sport, writes MORAKINYO ABODUNRIN.

UCH Ibadan performs its first open heart surgery

   

The first open heart surgery in a teaching hospital in Nigeria has been successfully carried out at the University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, Oyo State. 

The feat was carried out by surgeons at the UCH in conjunction with a team of surgeons from Tri-State Cardiovascular Delaware, USA. (The surgical team that performed the feat pictured above) 

A statement by the institution’s Head of Information Unit, Mr. Toye Akinrinola, disclosed that the four-hour surgery was to correct a leaking heart valve in a 19-year-old secondary school leaver.

‘Solar Suitcase’ Saves Mothers & Babies Lives by Providing a Vital Light Source During Childbirth

Dr. Laura Stachel is one of the top 10 CNN Heroes of 2013. You can vote for her, or any of the other top 10 Heroes, to be CNN Hero of the Year. That person will receive $250,000 to continue their extraordinary work.

Dr. Laura Stachel, an obstetrician from California, began working in Northern Nigeria in 2008 to study ways to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates. She found that hospitals were lacking in the most basic necessities, including a steady and reliable source of light. Nighttime deliveries were either attended by flashlight or critical care would have to be postponed until daylight hours. Collaborating with her husband, a solar energy educator in Berkeley, the couple created an off-grid solar electric system to provide a free source of power to the state hospital in northern Nigeria where Stachel had conducted her research. Stachel and her husband Aronson started a nonprofit, We Care Solar.

Funny Medical Video

Creative medical students.......lol.

Health Comic on Obama Care

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Alcohol Increases Risk of Breast Cancer in Young Women

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Parents should discuss yet another important issue with their daughters about how much they drink. This could increase their risk of breast cancer. 

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that every drink—whether beer, wine, or liquor—a young woman consumes daily before her first pregnancy puts her at a nearly 15 percent greater risk of developing proliferative benign breast disease, a noncancerous breast condition linked to breast cancer.

American Heart Association Basic Life Support (BLS) Course Holding in Lagos

This Course is designed to provide a wide variety of healthcare professionals the ability to recognize several life-threatening emergencies, provide CPR, use an AED, and relieve choking in a safe, timely and effective manner.

Requirements: Learners should receive the prescribed manual prior to the course in order to prepare and benefit maximally from the course. 

Manuals are to be collected from training venue on presentation and submission of bank payment teller. 

After payments, Please “SMS” your full names as you would want it to appear on the license and the state of the BLS class you would be attending to 08131183065

Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).

Congratulations to the successful candidates on the pass list of the just concluded exam for international trained doctors and dentists.

Below is the list of successful candidates.
http://www.mdcnigeria.org/Downloads/Pass%20list%20of%20Assessment%20Examination%20October%202013.pdf.

A total of 348 passed out of about 490 candidates.

Tribute to Medical Doctor killed by Boko Haram

DR BOBOLA KOLAWOLE

              

 You have made the ultimate sacrifice.

You were brutally murdered serving Nigeria.

 I have many whys

Why this tragedy?

Why did you join the Nigeria Police Force after the very many  years you labored to become a doctor?

Why did they post you to Maiduguri?

Why did the Boko Haram terrorists not spare  you?

Why do we live in a nation that the sanctity of life is losing  meaning?

Silence.  Painful silence

I remember your determination.

You refused to be denied. A  physician you wanted to be. A  physician you became.

I remember your smiles

You lit up conversations. You were a blessing to  many

I remember your humility

Big in frame but gentle in interaction

Thank you for your service

No where was too far. No time was too awkward. You were our able  OTIC pilot.

Patiently and joyfully, you taught me to drive. You were there to  encourage and share with me the joy of “hanging” a car.

Big Bobby

I will miss you

We will meet at the Master’s feet

Death where is thy sting

Grave where is thy victory

He lives

by Dr. Gbenga Adebayo

ASSESSMENT EXAMINATION FOR FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES

For Foreign Trained Medical Doctors

All foreign trained doctors irrespective of the Medical/Dental institution are expected to participate in the on going examination which commenced on 2nd October 2013, in order to be licensed to practice in Nigeria. This is in line with the notice issued by MEDICAL AND DENTAL COUNCIL OF NIGERIA (MDCAN), stating that:
 1. Any candidate who does not pass the assessment examination after 3 sittings must undergo a one year training in Medical school before re-attempting the examination for the last time.
2. With effect from October 2012, the Assessment examination would be compulsory for all foreign trained doctors irrespective of the Medical/Dental institution the doctor was trained.

We wish you all the best. 

Important notice to all successful candidates in the assessment examination:

All provisional registration licence information must be completed on or before 12th October 2013, to be eligible to participate in the induction ceremony which holds at Abuja on 22nd October 2013.

ARD Strike: Nigerian ‘Doctors’ And Her Craze For Self Importance

ON THE ARD STRIKE ACTION BY FEJIRO OLIVER

An African proverb rightly says that the cane with which we use in beating the child is waiting for the next child. I saw it coming that our MBBS graduate will succumb to the cheap publicity of going on strike, so as to buy the sympathy of Nigerians, just the way the other medical workers got all Nigerians supporting their strike. I saw it coming that they will turn to the cane (Journalism) to publicize their fight against the Federal Government.

Nigerian Medical Association Condemns The Employment Of Egyptian Doctors In Kano

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The Nigerian medical association, kano state chapter received with shock the news that the kano state government has employed over a hundred doctors and nurses from Egypt to work in hospitals throughout the state and we hereby make the following declarations:

Resident Doctors Commences Nationwide Strike

Association of Resident Doctors are on Strike

The National Association of Resident Doctors of Nigeria (NARD) has directed its members nationwide to proceed on an indefinite strike.

NARD president, Dr Jibril Abdullahi, gave the directive when he addressed newsmen in Kano and expressed regrets over the untold hardship the decision might cause Nigerians.

HAPPY 53RD INDEPENDENCE NIGERIA

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE TO ALL NIGERIANS, HOME AND ABROAD.

Health Comic

Health Video: Chinese doctor builds new nose on man's forehead

A surgeon in China says he has constructed an extra nose out of a man's rib cartilage and implanted it under the skin of his forehead to prepare for a transplant in probably the first operation of its kind.

United States Consulate Lagos Office Registered Nurse Vacancy

United States Consulate Lagos

The U.S. Consulate General, Lagos is seeking to employ a suitable and qualified candidate for the position of Health Unit Registered Nurse in the Medical Unit office. 

BASIC FUNCTION OF THE POSITION:

The incumbent provides the range of registered nursing health care services, including the rendering of first-aid, immunizations, as well as evaluating and assessing a variety of medical conditions through physical examination, and selecting the appropriate treatment under signed written nursing protocols or referral to the RMO, FSHP or LE Staff medical provider. S/he maintains liaison with local health care providers; conducts health orientations for new arrivals and performs various other medical administrative functions.

LUTH begins e-pharmacy

As part of efforts to improve health information management in the nation’s hospitals, PFIZER Nigeria and East Africa Region has completed the e-pharmacy project at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba.

The company, in a statement in Lagos, stated that with the provision of the e-pharmacy, which is equipped with facilities that support internet connection for efficient drug information service, the hospital is now prepared for the transition from a paper-based system to an electronic health system.

Quick remedies for insect stingsd

Got an Insect bite?

Wash the stung area with soap and water, then apply an antiseptic.

Apply a soothing ointment, like a hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion and cover the area with a dry, sterile bandage.

If swelling is a problem, apply an ice pack or cold compress to the area.

Keeping it clean down there

BY BUKOLA ADEBAYO 

Do you know that no fragrance, however potent, can overpower an offensive odour from the genital area? By that, we mean the vagina, anus and other organs of the groin.

In a new study published in the Journal of Internal and Reproductive Medicine, researchers say that the state of your genital is the best way a woman can know if she is healthy or not.

They note that though it is not every smell or discharge from the area that is abnormal,   it is also  perfectly natural to have a slight sweet smell that is non-offensive. But a strong and foul odour is a strong indication of an infection.

$20,000 Residency Training for Delta Doctors

Delta State Governor, Dr. Emmanuel Uduaghan

Delta State Government will henceforth sponsor medical doctors of the state origin at the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, NPMCN,  Lagos, to one-year residency training programme overseas.

TATTOOS AND SKIN PIERCINGS….FASHION STATEMENTS OR HEALTH RISKS

CHARLY BOY

Body piercings, tattoos, permanent make-up….these are some of the ways individuals choose to enhance their looks and perhaps express their individuality. But are these attempts at physical enhancement really worth the risks involved? Personally I have 4 piercings on each ear lobe [I am considering getting a fifth], and when people ask me my reasons for doing this I respond ’nothing really, I just felt like it’. And that is simply the truth; I had no specific reasons for the piercing. For years I have also longed to get a tattoo, but just didn’t have enough guts to get one done. It was so bad that at the NYSC orientation camp in one of the north central states, I got in line to have a local tattoo painted onto my skin. The camp officials probably didn’t want me to have one because just as it got to my turn they showed up and sent everyone jogging down to the field for an event, and for some reason I never got another opportunity. With people in the entertainment industry sporting various kinds of tattoos, piercings and make-up, more young people are toeing the line. On the flip side these beauty enhancers may have deleterious effects if proper care isn’t taken, and they include-
•Keloid formation—excessive growth of connective tissue in the process of healing gives rise to keloid formation, it has a higher incidence of occurrence in blacks, and in piercings done on the earlobe. I once saw a lady who developed keloids the size of a 5 kobo coin following an attempt to pierce both earlobes. So individuals prone to keloid formation or hypertrophic scars should be wary of piercings. Bumps known as granulomas may also arise at areas of injection of dyes into skin.
•Infection-may arise as a result of using infected instruments, contaminated skin dyes, or poor handling of piercings. These infections range from minor skin infections to blood-borne infections like HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C
•Allergic reaction-often result from reaction to skin dyes, jewelry used for the piercing or worn after the piercing is done.
•Complications from MRI-occasionally following a magnetic resonance imaging [ MRI ]investigation in an individual who has a tattoo or permanent make-up, a burning sensation or mild swelling may be noticed at the site.
So?? tips to ensure safe ‘beauty enhancements’
• Individuals prone to keloid formation or hypertrophic scars should try to avoid body piercings, permanent make-up or tattoos. If they must, they should consult a dermatologist first.
•Ensure that the beauty parlor where the enhancement will be done is as sanitary as possible, instruments are sterile, and service provider well garbed, with fresh hand gloves. After the procedure has been completed, take care of the site e.g. cleaning off the crusts that will form around an earlobe piercing with cotton wool and spirit.
• Before undergoing any procedure, individuals should be aware if they react to certain metals used in making jewelry, and avoid them so that allergic reactions will not be triggered off.
I wonder when I will have enough ‘liver’ to get a tattoo. As for permanent make-up………well, I’ d better take them one at a time

AUTHOUR: DR UZOMA OBIAKA
- See more at: http://www.naijamedics.com/index.php/blog-2/tattoos-and-skin-piercingsfashion-statements-or-health-risks/#sthash.7SwidvaY.dpu

Body piercings, tattoos, permanent make-up….these are some of the ways individuals choose to enhance their looks and perhaps express their individuality. But are these attempts at physical enhancement really worth the risks involved?