Health
UMTH : Professor Ahmed Ahidjo Reaching For The Rescue Of Stroke Patients
UMTH : Professor Ahmed Ahidjo Reaching For The Rescue Of Stroke Patients
By: Balami Lazarus
Much has been said and spoken on stroke over the years in Nigeria . This ailment is associated with so many things that have no relationship with it , including spiritual attachment. Therefore, stroke has become one of the feared medical challenges because of what has been said of it at different fora coupled with different interpretations from men with no iota of medical training or knowledge about this ailment called stroke. At the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, the team led by Professor Ahmed Ahidjo came with the idea of a stroke centre to cushion its effects on society.
Although the centre is under construction with over 90 percent, the good news is that all the equipment for the centre are on ground and when completed and soon will be the centre of research and can produce experts that will speak on this challenge to disabuse the minds of many people who believe stroke is attached with some negative belief system.
NEWSng reports that the UMTH has observed its (stroke) many derailing effects among the people and the many attachments. Indeed, in the part of the world , there have never been any stroke unit or department in any of the secondary or tertiary hospitals in Nigeria known for the treatment of stroke until perhaps recently and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital is leading in making the difference going by the investigation carried out in our research to unearth the positive development achievements of the Professor Ahidjo’s led management team.
What is a stroke? And what are the causes of stroke? To put these straight in our brief findings, if anything to go by can be explained as a damage to the brain from interruption of free flow of blood supply. This means high blood pressure (HBP) as usually referred to in plain language. The doctors told us that this is the leading cause of stroke among many people in the world. And this is far contrary to the stories we heard from the village angles about uncle’s and aunties we so called village people.
It is on record that UMTH has provided succour in the treatment of stroke to patients within and around the northeast region including other parts of the country. With the establishment of the Stroke Centre. The University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital has taken the centre stage as one the best hospitals in the country. Since the beginning of the insurgents in 2009 to date , the hospital has never closed for a day. It has weathered the storms and stood tall in offering services to the people with new projects put in place by the CMD.
Looking back at his works from the start to date, Professor Ahmed Ahidjo has placed on table what has always been a dream for many before him and with his inclusive style of leadership testimonies from the hospital reveals that the Professor of Interventional Radiology is not only intervening from his professional calling but has put a challenge to professional manager of human and capital resources in both administrative and management of hospitals in Nigeria.
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“We all know healthcare is one of the most important foundation pillars in any development. There is no system or community or society that develops without a good health system because it is only when you are healthy that you can be productive. And as long as you do not have a healthy population, the population will not be productive. As long as they are not productive there is no way you can prosper as a society. So, we must understand the value of healthcare in the economy of any nation. A sound healthcare system provides a good platform for economic development. They are directly proportional. If you look at the graphical representation, you will agree that it is a linear relationship between healthcare and economic development. So spending as a nation in our healthcare is very important and not only spending but spending wisely.
“Everybody knows that it is easy to spend money. If they give you money and you enter a supermarket, you can spend it the way you want it. But at the end of the day, if you come out of that super market you asked yourself. Have I done a proper need assessment before I go in? Did I buy the things that I really need and not the things that I want? You evaluate your purchases whether your spending is on your real needs and anything that you do, if you want a proper development you must lay a foundation. There is no way you can expect a child to start running without first sitting and crawling.” Professor Ahmed Ahidjo said in one of his interviews.
Before the Stroke Centre came to reality, Professor Ahmed Ahidjo had made special arrangements and had provided trained men and medical materials which are to give special care for those with medical challenges of stroke. The Stroke Centre is one the biggest structures embarked by the CMD. When NEWSng took time recently to inspect the building it was near completion. In fact, the centre is a complex of its own, where offices for stroke experts , examination rooms , patients wards , laboratories and Out – patient Departments (OPD ) are all available within the Centre.
The UMTH Stroke Centre is a specialized unit lying in a quite serene environment of this institutional hospital. During the tour of this massive construction work, it was revealed that one of the sons of Borno state, a philanthropist, Dr. Mohammed Kyari Dikwa has opened his doors to support and sponsor this health services project as contribution to healthcare services which will soon be commission to alleviate the sufferings of those with stroke challenges.
UMTH : Professor Ahmed Ahidjo Reaching For The Rescue Of Stroke Patients
World Kedney Day: CMD Extols Borno Govt for Supporting UMTH’s Kedney Centre
By: Babagana Wakil
The Chief Medical Director of the University of Maiduguri teaching hospital, Professor Ahmed Ahidjo has reiterated the hospital’s commitment to the treatment of Kidney and other related diseases.
The hospital boss , made the disclosure yesterday while addressing members of the hospital Kidney Center as part of activities to mark the year 2024 World Kidney Day.
According to the Chief Executive, the hospital has remained a reference point among hospitals attending to such cases in Nigeria, while emphasizing that the role of the Borno State Governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum can not be overemphasized.
According to him, the state government have been responsive and committed to activities related to kidney research and development, part of which recently, the government kickstarted the process that targeted about 50 million Naira to fund and assist research process in the Centre.
He admonished members of the Kidney unit to continously demonstrate high sense of professionalism and expertise when dealing with patients while emphasizing that in UMTH, patients remains the king.
On his part, the Director of the Kidney Centre, Professor Ibrahim Ummate, called on the general public to prioritize their health, as he noted that kidney disease is fast growing
According to him, about 18 percent of Borno population is presumed to be suffering from Kidney disease, while advising that people should endeavor to always drink water, eat healthy, exercise and always go for checkup of atleast 3 to 6 months intervals.
World Kedney Day: CMD Extols Borno Govt for Supporting UMTH’s Kedney Centre
US, in 2023 Commits $600 million to Health in Nigeria
By: Michael Mike
The United States has committed $20 billion into various health programmes in Africa, it said on Wednesday.
A released by the United States Embassy in Nigeria also revealed that: “In 2023 alone, the United States invested over $600 million in health assistance in Nigeria,” with U.S. partnerships on health in Nigeria saving millions of lives, strengthened health systems, and better prepared Nigeria and the region for current and future health security threats.
The release stated that: “The following are the facts about U.S. government partnership with Nigeria for health now and in the future: Preventing Malaria: Malaria threatens more than half the world’s population and claims the life of a child every minute, and the United States, together with our global partners, has helped save more than 11.7 million lives and prevented 2 billion malaria infections globally.
“Malaria is a leading cause of death in Nigeria, but malaria deaths in Nigeria have fallen by 55 percent since 2000. To advance Nigeria’s national. strategy to counter malaria, since 2011, the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative (PMI) has taken steps to prevent illness and death by providing: Nearly 83 million insecticide-treated bed nets; 22 million malaria preventive treatments in pregnancy; 164 million fast acting malaria medicines; Insecticide to spray 121,000 homes; Over 102 million rapid diagnostic tests for malaria.
“Ending HIV: About 39 million people live with HIV globally, including an estimated 2 million in Nigeria. The United States and Nigeria are focused on ending HIV as a public health threat by 2030. The U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has expanded HIV treatment and reduced HIV transmissions, saving more than 25 million lives in more than 50 partner countries over the past two decades and giving over 1.6 million Nigerians access to antiretroviral therapy. In Nigeria, PEPFAR has invested a total of more than $8.3 billion in the national HIV response.
“In 2023, PEPFAR resources supported:
Over 12 million people with HIV counseling and testing services; More than 2 million pregnant women with HIV counseling and testing services to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV; More than 1.8 million people living with HIV with TB/HIV services; More than 1.5 million orphans and vulnerable children with care and
support services
“Delivering Vaccines: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States helped Nigeria vaccinate 70 percent of its eligible populations. The U.S. government supports Nigeria to control, eliminate, and eradicate other vaccine-preventable diseases as well. Through technical expertise and programmatic support, the United States collaborates with international and local partners to strengthen immunization systems and expand routine vaccine delivery.
“In the course of these efforts, the U.S. government has: Donated 44 million doses of COVID vaccine; Supported vaccination of 2,145,063 children for polio in security-compromised areas, helping Nigeria become certified free of wild poliovirus in 2020; Supported introduction of four new vaccines for children, including
rotavirus, IPV2, measles, and HPV.
“Advancing Global Health Security: The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Ebola, mpox, and other outbreaks in the country and region, has shown the devastating impacts of infectious disease on health, economies, and societies. Together, the United States and Nigeria are working to strengthen health security capacities. Several U.S. government agencies partner with the Nigerian government to prevent, detect, respond to, and recover from emerging public health threats. Through these collaborations, we are protecting the health of Nigerians, Americans, and people across the globe. Key activities in Nigeria include: Establishing a Public Health Emergency Management Program that has trained 55 national and subnational emergency managers who have responded to seven priority outbreaks; Enhancing Nigeria’s national disease surveillance systems, by training more than 800 epidemiologists and scientists to promote global best practices; Developing Nigeria’s laboratory diagnostics to test for Ebola, mpox, yellow fever, measles, Lassa fever, cholera, and cerebrospinal meningitis, thus strengthening Nigeria’s ability to quickly detect and respond to outbreaks.”
US, in 2023 Commits $600 million to Health in Nigeria
Lassa Fever: FG Launches National Deratisation Exercise
By: Michael Mike
The Hon Minister of State for Environment Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako has launched the National Deratization framework exercise to prevent and control the spread of Lassa fever in the Country.
The Minister who was respresented by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Mahmud Kambari while briefing the Press in Abuja stated that ‘I stand to provide an update on the recent outbreak of Lassa Fever reported by 44 Army Referral Hospital in Kaduna State and subsequent spread of the disease in the state ‘.
He said the meeting with the State Emergency Response Team (SERT), has provided the etiological pattern of the disease. 12 suspected cases was recorded with 6 mortality, 2 additional cases originated from another facility in Barau Dikko Hospital , while 92 persons are under surveillance as contact person, adding that the team has visited the affected facility (44 Army Referral Hospital) on 25th of February 2024 which gathered information as follows:
The general hygiene and cleanliness of the hospital was assessed as well as measures put in place to prevent the spread of the disease through disinfection and decontamination were both deemed effective and found adequate.
The team further confirmed the efficacy of the treatment by using an ITP machine and use of sodium hydrochloride in correct proportion and formulation to ensure safety of the facility.
The team recommended that the facility be deratized to reduce the population of the disease carrying vector, specifically rats.
He noted that our’s in the Environment Sector is to provide solution, make the environment safe and unconducive for the vector to grow because it is responsible for the disease.
The Registrar, Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON), Dr. Yakubu Baba Muhammad reiterated that the Minister’s directives on all the facilities whether public or private should undergo derating exercise for examples hotels, markets, restaurants and recreation centres after which they will be issued Derating Exemption Certificate by EHCON.
Dr. Yakubu disclosed that the ministry has directed the Council to embark on massive capacity building to update the knowledge of the practioners on the new innovations, new approaches to control and address the disease.
He added that component of health education, promotion and creation of awareness in the communities also plays an important role.
“At the community level, the issue of waste management cannot be over emphasized. At this time and period, reminant food should not be exposed while our food stuff and stores should be rats proof. In the character of rats once there is no food, rats vacates the house”. He added
He further emphasized that another approach to combat the spread of this disease is by getting to the grassroot, its a collective responsibility as government is doing their job, citizens should do their parts.
He also said farmers using roads for drying farm products should be discouraged from doing so because this gives rats to come and urinate, defecate; passing feaces that contains the virus that causes disease and contamination of the food.
Yakubu warned that our communities should reduce or stop taking bush meat, saying is not healthy for now because the virus has residual effect even after the death of the animal.
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