₦airaland Forum

The Paediatric Association of Nigeria (PAN) has revealed Nigeria only has about 600 paediatricians catering for the country’s about 170 million population. The president of the association, Prof Olowu Adebiyi said this in an exclusive interview with HealthNewsNG.com on the sidelines of an event organised by Sonafi to mark 2014 World Pneumonia Day.

“It is basically very bad. When we did the last data analysis in 2010, we found out there are just about 500 pediatricians in Nigeria. With the few ones that have qualified since then, we are looking at about 600 pediatricians for the entire country. That figure is still very short of what is expected and it shows that pediatricians are highly in dire need,” Olowu told HealthNewsNG.com

He added that most of the licensed pediatricians are practising in major hospitals in urban areas.

“To make the picture more gloomy, we found out most of the pediatricians are in urban settings and individuals in rural areas are devoid of pediatricians. We want government to make it possible for pediatricians to be willing to go and practice in the rural centers apart from urban centers. Government should introduce some forms of motivation,” he said.

According to him, the few number of the professionals may be due to the longer duration of pediatric training in Nigeria and the preference of doctors for more lucrative specialties.

“We need about 50,000 pediatricians – something like a pediatrician to 250 patients. Government should look at the pediatrics training model in India which takes just between 3 – 4 years to complete, ours takes at least 6 years. We need to also create more awareness among doctors. Our people want to go to areas where they will make more money,” the PAN president said.

He said the association is encouraging its members of volunteer at rural facilities.

“In addition to where they are practicing, we are encouraging our members to adopt a facility where there is no pediatrician. We are encouraging them to engage in volunteer pediatric practice,” Prof Olowu told HealthNewsNG.com

Source: http://healthnewsng.com/nigeria-600-pediatricians-pan/

justicesky24:
Na wah o

That's how they call bad things on themselves just to get likes on Nairaland. I'm a Chelsea fan but I think the guy's vow to commit suicide is the most stupid thing I've ever heard in recent times.

Some schools in Oyo state, southwest Nigeria are reportedly asking their students to pay Ebola fees. Some concerned parents who told Space FM, a radio station in the state capital, said the schools claim the fees would help the schools to procure necessary required items that would protect the students from contracting the viral disease.

The parents who expressed dismay at the decision of the schools to ask their students to pay Ebola fees few days the nation was declared Ebola free by the World Health Organisation (WHO) urged the state government to look into the action and call the school authorities to order.

The state was one of the states of the federation that postponed school resumption as a necessary measure needed to make adequate provision in schools across the state to prevent the spread of the Ebola virus disease. Part of the preparations the state government promised to make was the supply of prevention materials and training of teaching and non-teaching staff members on Ebola.

Source: http://healthnewsng.com/schools-nigeria-charging-ebola-fees/

Members of the Nigerian House of Representatives have approved the payment of USD24 (NGN4,000) as online registration fee for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

According to the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Youth Development, Rep Kamil Akinlabi, the fund would be used for installation of equipment at the NYSC offices nationwide. He also said the fund would enable the contractor handling the project to recoup investment within five years.

Akinlabi said: “from the onset, when the matter was brought to our attention, the first thing we felt was the way you are feeling but after constructive engagement, we discovered that it was an innovation that we can’t run from.

“First, it was not the responsibility of the NYSC to mobilize respective Corp member to get their call-up letter, it is the responsibility of the parent. If somebody schooled in Lagos but lives in Kano and to get his call-up letter he has to travel to school.

He explained further that “so you will discover that it’s time consuming, risky and very expensive. So what the NYSC has done is to partner with a consultant that is already handling similar project for JAMB and WAEC that has eliminated similar risk to partner with them through public-private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

“And that PPP arrangement will be on Built Operate and Transfer. What are the terms of agreement? The contractor would be responsible 100 percent for the purchase and installation of every gadget that will be necessary to achieve that in all the 36 headquarters including FCT and in all local government headquarters as well as all orientation camps across the country.

“So, when we look at the cost of getting the equipment purchased and installing in all those strategic points, how will they recoup their investment since government is not injecting a penny?

They proposed N6,000 so we interacted with them that there is no way this should be on a very high side.

Source: http://www.humanipo.com/news/47452/nigerian-lawmakers-approves-24-nysc-online-registration-fee/

see the number of people that are interested in this match despite the disappointment we had last time. Smh.

For several days now I’ve found myself in a not-that-funny battle with MTN Nigeria over the network’s decision to activate its Callertunez service on my line.

I didn’t pay much attention to the first Callertunez service subscription message until someone challenged me for making Fuji music my call tune. My attention was drawn to the message I got from MTN.

I asked friends how I would unsubscribe and I was told to just send Cancel to 4100. I did that and eaved a sigh of relief when I was told I’d been unsubscribed from the service. I was dumbfounded when in the morning I saw a message congratulating me for activating the service.

Since then it’s been a fierce battle and a futile effort to permanently turn off the Callertunez service.

Normally, I would have ignored the fight and allow the service to be activated – at best I would just change the caller tune but it’s my telephone line and I should be the one to decide whether I want caller tunes or not.

So, yesterday, I called the 180 customer care service and had a very annoying conversation with one of the network’s customer care agents who accused me of activating the service. She said the service would be deactivated once I send the CANCEL instruction. I did that, and the service was stopped. Few hours later however, I was congratulated for activating the service.

I thought I was the only one until I started writing this post and my dad also complained about the situation. Imagine what they did to him – anytime you call him, you would be Shina Peters set as the caller tune.

He’s so angry with the network, the story is the same for several other subscribers.

Did the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approve the caller-tune-by-fire-by-force attitude of MTN? I had Glo is also doing the same.

I will not bulge nor yield to the network’s greedy demands; instead, I will stop loading recharge card on the line. We should all do that. If they don’t make money from us, they will come to their senses.

NCC should rise to the occasion and fight for the telecoms subscribers in Nigeria. They won’t stop sending us unsolicited messages now they are subscribing to services on our behalf. Who knows what they have in stock next – making calls on our behalf?

Source: http://ibpulse.com/2014/10/mtn-i-say-i-no-want-caller-tunes-na-by-force.html

Indications emerged today (Friday) that the Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) has suspended its planned nationwide strike schedule to commence on October 8.

Information made available to HealthNewsNG.com this evening the decision to suspend the strike was reached following the invitation of the leaders of the union to a roundtable discussion with representatives of the government. The meeting is scheduled to hold on October 9 in Abuja.

It would be recalled that the union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the Nigerian government to address it demands. The union is asking the government to look into the issue of non promotion of its members from salary CONHESS 14 – 15 as directors having stayed for 4 to 15 years on the same salary level without promotion in most fedral tertiary hospitals.

Among other demands, JOHESU is asking for the immediate release of circular on adjustment of salary as done for members of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) since January 2014 and immediate payment of at least two months arrears while the remaining are paid with 2015 budget.

A cross section of members of the union expressed disappointment on the decision of union’s executives to suspend the strike.

“JOHESU chickens out every time meanwhile our contemporaries have already been paid what they wanted,” a member said.

Another commented, “The Nigerian government does not want it soft with us, so JOHESU should not allow herself to be deceived again. We can make 2015 ineffective if that is what the president wants.”

A number of members urged the union to go ahead with the planned strike and call it off if the roundtable discussion yields favorable results for the union.

On social media, Nigerians that are not health professionals are urging the Nigerian government to take urgent steps to address the issue of incessant strikes in the nation’s health sector.

Evans and several others who commented on Nairaland urged the Nigerian government to deregulate the health sector.

Obino added, “It’s the patients I pity in all these. The doctors, the pharmacists, the nurses, the med lab scientists, etc are all selfish and self-centred. That of the doctors is worse. God help our healthcare system and save it from total collapse.”

Source: http://healthnewsng.com/health-workers-nigeria-suspend-planned-nationwide-strike/

Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health is yet to recognise the suspected Ebola virus disease that caused panic at the health center of the Obafemi Awolowo University.

Responding to HealthNewsNG.com’s inquiry on the ministry’s position on the suspected case, Dan Nwomeh, Special Assistant on Media and Communication to the Minister of Health, Nigeria, said the country’s Ebola Virus Disease status remain unchained.

"Nigeria's Ebola Virus Disease Status hasn't changed - 19 confirmed cases, 7 dead, 11 survivors & 1 under treatment but stable," Nwomeh said.

In a related development, the management of the university said the female suspected to be suffering from Ebola Virus Disease has been evacuated to the Lagos Isolation Center.

“The female suspected to be a secondary Ebola contact has since been evacuated to the appropriate facility in Lagos for further investigations to confirm her status. In the meantime, the National team and the World Health Organisation (WHO) team on Ebola control have promptly decontaminated the University Health Center despite the fact that the case is yet to be confirmed,” said Abiodun Olanrewaju, Public Relations Officer, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Nigeria.

He urged the university community to remain calm as the situation is “fully under control”.

It would recalled that HealthNewsNG.com exclusively reported the suspected case of the female student that reportedly came in contact with an Ebola patient in Port Harcourt.

Source: http://healthnewsng.com/suspected-ebola-case-oau-ile-ife-unconfirmed-govt/

I have on authoritative source that the hospital is not allowing them to bring the girl to the teaching hospital cos of fear of spreading the disease

Yes, I have updated the information. When will mod take this to FP?

onyxo76: The suspect is a female and she is in the health centre where I work, she ran awat last night only for the boyfriend to bring her back this morning, we have the who team alreay seeing her.

And u don nearly call me liar before. Oya send me recharge card for pain inflicted. lol. I don't know d school is yet to temporarily close down. Ebola no be joke matter o

Gooci: av confirmed it..... i hop the test comes negative shha. govt shld jst think twice about this sept resumption for our pri/sec schools. its not safe yet

I heard it is the one on campus o

Gooci: is it health center on campus or OAU THC in town?
the person i contactd stays on campus

In that case, we thank God. Make I find koboko

bharyur2103: Your brother must be a rumour peddler then.I'm a student of the university and I'm currently on campus.The union leadership has contacted the neccessary authorities to confirm the rumour that started making rounds late night, and it has affirmed it is not true.

Gooci: jst contacted someone one, i dnt think its true. if such a case is in oau health center, d whole campus would av known

contact someone in the school. my brother is a student and he said it is true, a medical student also called to confirm. Maybe your guy no dey town

Gooci: chaii, make i ask ma people in oau... i still not bliv shha.

okay na. let me know what they tell u

Gooci: this must not be true oo ...

it's been confirmed o

I just got this, OAU students be informed and watchful.

The first suspected case of Ebola Virus Disease is currently being investigated at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU). If the test results come out positive, it would be the first time in any part of the world that a case would be reported in a university.

The patient, a female student reportedly confessed she had come in contact with the doctor that died of the disease in Port Harcourt.

Report from Obafemi Awolowo university Health Centre revealed the female student walked into the emergency room in the evening of Monday September 8. She reportedly informed the doctor on duty that she had been in contact with the late doctor’s family about 2 weeks ago, adding she had been in contact with the doctor’s 3 month old baby.

She presented with stooling and vomiting which had been on for over 3 days.

Her confession reportedly caused panic among patients at the health center who fled after hearing the news. She was immediately taken and kept under watch in the center’s isolation ward. Swiftly, the community health unit was called upon to fumigate the entire health centre while arrangement is in top gear to transfer her to a treatment facility.

HealthNewsNG.com would like to categorically state this is still a suspected case and has not been confirmed by appropriate authorities. As such, caution should be exercised in the use and dissemination of this information.

Information made available to HealthNewsNG.com this morning revealed the management of the OAU Teaching Hospital allegedly turned down the request for the patient to be transferred to the hospital to prevent infecting patients and staff at the hospital.

Also, efforts are ongoing to identify individuals she had come in contact with.

OAU is one of Nigeria’s major universities owned and managed by the federal government of Nigeria. The university has thousands of students from various parts of the country which means an outbreak could become widespread if someone with the disease is among the students.

Source: http://healthnewsng.com/first-suspected-case-ebola-investigation-obafemi-awolowo-university/

Can Seun take down this thread? This is a matter of national security. Pls delete this thread ASAP. God bless Nigeria and God bless the Nigerian Army.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that more than 800,000 people commit suicide every year which statistically means one person dies from suicide every 40 seconds. This makes suicide an everyday health problem.

According to the organisation’s first global report on suicide prevention published in Geneva on Thursday, WHO said about 75 per cent of the everyday health problem occur in low and middle-income countries. It said pesticide poisoning, hanging and firearms are some of the most common methods of suicide globally.

To tackle the everyday health problem, WHO revealed that evidence from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United States and a number of European countries showed that limiting access to these means can help prevent people dying by suicide.

Another key to reducing deaths by suicide, WHO said, is a commitment by national governments to the establishment and implementation of a coordinated plan of action. It stated further that currently, only 28 countries are known to have national suicide prevention strategies even though the disease has been identified as a major everyday health problem.

WHO, in the report, explained that suicide is a global phenomenon, which occurs all over the world and can take place at almost any age. WHO said globally, suicide rates are highest in people aged 70 years and over, although in some countries, the highest rates are found among the young.

It disclosed that suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15-29 year-olds globally.

“This report is a call for action to address a large public health problem which has been shrouded in taboo for far too long”, said Dr. Chan.

The report stated that generally, more men die by suicide than women. In richer countries, three times as many men die by suicide than women, while men aged 50 years and over are particularly vulnerable.

In low and middle-income countries, young adults and elderly women have higher rates of suicide than their counterparts in high-income countries. Women over 70 years old are more than twice likely to die by suicide than women aged 15-29 years, the report said.

The report stressed that suicides are preventable; adding that reducing access to means of suicide is one way to reduce deaths.

Other effective measures, it added, include responsible reporting of suicide in the media, such as avoiding language that sensationalises suicide and avoiding explicit description of methods used, and early identification and management of mental and substance use disorders in communities and by health workers in particular.

“Follow-up care by health workers through regular contact, including by phone or home visits, for people who have attempted suicide, together with provision of community support, are essential, because people who have already attempted suicide are at the greatest risk of trying again.

“No matter where a country currently stands in suicide prevention”, said Dr Alexandra Fleischmann, Scientist in the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO, “effective measures can be taken, even just starting at local level and on a small-scale”.

WHO recommends that countries involve a range of government departments in developing a comprehensive co-ordinated response.

It said high-level commitment is needed not just within the health sector, but also within education, employment, social welfare and judicial departments.

The report’s launch comes just a week before World Suicide Prevention Day, observed on September 10 every year. The Day provides an opportunity for joint action to raise awareness about suicide and suicide prevention around the world.

Source: http://healthnewsng.com/one-person-commits-suicide-every-40-seconds/

A breakdown of the just released results of students that sat for WAEC’s Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) 2014 has revealed that Oyo state came 24th out of 36 states and FCT. Furthermore, only 19% had 5 credits and above including English and Mathematics.

This means about 71% of students from Oyo state did not pass the exams with 5 credits including maths and English.

Result statistics for WASSCE 2014 Summary obtained by IBPulse.com revealed a total of 77,672 candidates sat for the exams in Oyo state out of which 39,340 are male while 38,332 are female. Among the male, 7,491, and among the female, 7,263 – had 5 credits and above including English and maths. These figures suggest that only 14,754 students from Oyo state – 19% had 5 credits and above including English and maths.

The report revealed the performance of students from Oyo state did not meet the national average which was 31.29%.

The 10 states with the best performances are Anambra (66%), Abia (59%), Edo (58%), Bayelsa (53%) and Rivers (53%).

Oyo state was also the state in the southwest region with the lowest performance.

Lagos state ranked highest in the southwest (7th) followed by Ekiti (12th), Ondo (13th), Kwara (16th), Ogun (18th), Osun (22nd) and Oyo (24th).

It would be recalled IBPulse.com exclusively reported results of candidates from Oyo state were not released alongside those of other states due to the failure of the state government to pay the West African Examination Council (WAEC). We also exclusively reported the government had paid the examination council and candidates could now check their results online.

A commenter posted on IBPulse.com that the failure could be as a result of the delayed payment.

Amerigo said: “The failure of d government to pay on time is the cause of mass failure in Oyo state public schools.”

Source: http://ibpulse.com/2014/09/oyo-had-worst-waec-result-in-southwest-only-19-passed.html

mmmustapha: served them right, iraq is destroyed for no reason but to stole their crude oil. over two hundreds lives where lost in Iraq, but world did not call America terrorists, why? are only Muslims be terrorists?

Did you just justify the beheading of a journalist, a man that wasn't part of those that caused the problem in d first instance just because he is an american? I just saw your name is Mustapha. You are the perfect example of why people call Muslims terrorists. You said this served them right. Imagine Liberia warlords cutting of your children's heads because Nigeria intervened in their civil war. You guys are ridiculous with your state of mind, you all need psychological evaluation,

Students of public secondary schools in Oyo state that participated in the last May/June Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) organised by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) are yet to see their results following the failure of the state government to pay the examination fees for its students.

Some of the students who spoke to IBPulse.com in Ibadan said since the results were released, they’ve not been able to check theirs even though candidates who registered in private schools in the state have already seen their results.

One of the students, Funmilola, appealed to the state government to quickly pay WAEC.

“Please and please, pay for our WAEC fee, so that they can release our result,” she posted on the Oyo state government’s Facebook page.

Expressing his disappointment with the state government, Ojewande said all the students in the state’s public schools are sad.

He said: “Your excellency sir… We the students of Oyo state public schools are all sad because all the privates schools students in Oyo state have checked their results but we the students of public schools have not, to tell you the facts sir, it is not a good idea, for you to delay our results by not paying the necessary fee.

“Is it because your own children are not going to public schools even not in Nigeria. You too also know that you cannot be on that seat forever.”

He said the development could have negative impacts on those that are planning to use the results to secure admission to universities.

He said: “All the universities are already closing their admission, what do you want us to do, but sir you can only delay our destiny but can not change it. Na wa for Oyo state government.”

However, a rep within the education ministry said the government is making frantic efforts to make the payment in full.

“The government has already paid a percentage and we are already working on making the payment,” the rep said.

Source: http://ibpulse.com/2014/08/oyo-govt-yet-to-pay-waec-council-withholds-results.html

Guys, we shouldn't be in a haste to condemn Lagos state govt. U guys should search for "drug trials gone wrong" and see what could happen if the drug isn't effective. Furthermore, unlike ZMAPP, there is no data on the naija drug. And nanosilver is really going to have its side effects. I've not seen anyone play politics with Ebola since it started and I don't think we should start now. I believe the FG and state government teams would meet and iron this matter out.

Deepfreezer: you are a fool for asking such question. YES.

who u wan fight now? U no read my apology and plea to be informed? Smh

CFCfan: The local teams, Akwa United and Ibom Angels, could use the stadium.

do they need something this big? I'm concerned about the cost of maintenance especially when a new governor comes in. Look at the Abuja National Stadium for instance.

GEJ seems to be making sense these days. I would have pitied the doctors but the way they've been acting really shows they are feeling too proud and should be checked. No matter what u are fighting for, your country is fighting Ebola yet u are on strike just because some other professionals got a position. Who does that? I know for sure this would be reversed but it should get them ruffled in the time being.

Nigeria is dealing with Ebola very well without NMA, I think we can continue to survive without them

guys, don't take this d wrong way. I love d stadium and I know it is very beautiful but what does the state need it for really? Enlighten me abeg

Any regular shopper at Shoprite would have noticed that there are fewer workers manning the various pay points at the store at Dugbe, the situation is also the same at the newly opened store at Ring Road, which is the biggest Shoprite store in West Africa.

At the store in Cocoa Mall Dugbe, only one-third of the pay points is manned by workers while workers can only pay at half of the pay points at Shoprite store in Ibadan Mall, Ring Road.

Although no official of the store agreed to speak on record, an informal chat with one of the workers revealed the management of the store is attempting to fully maximise its current members of staff by manning both outlets with minimal workers that are just enough for operations.

“It is not just the cashiers that are affected, others are also involved in the process. If you look at the kitchen section, you would notice that very few workers are there now, some have been moved to Ring Road,” he said.

Customers are already noticing this and they are accusing the stores of taking its customers for granted and allowing them to stay for long on queues.

“Imagine the long queues we have to endure when they can just let us pay at the pay points that are not manned. If they don’t have enough workers, they should recruit. They shouldn’t frustrate us and make us eat what we’ve bought before even making payment,” a concerned customer told IBPulse.com

However, the Shoprite staff said the queues aren’t unbearable as the customers are presenting them to be.

“The only reason why they are complaining is because they see some pay points vacant. And for God’s sake, I don’t think you will spend more than 5 minutes on a queue and if you are really in a hurry, you can talk to any member of staff and they’ll help you out,” he said.

Source: http://ibpulse.com/2014/08/shoprite-reduces-workforce-in-ibadan.html

kekakuz: fake featuring original.

lol. but the song is dope

I’ve always asked myself what a song with 2Face and Joe El would sound like, well, this is the answer and the word is epic. It even gets better with the message of hope that we all need to here during these difficult times that we are dealing with Ebola, Boko Haram and the rest.

Hold On will definitely be a timeless piece. The beat is nice and the message is clear. I love the way both artistes complement each other on this song. It is safe to say they have chemistry.

But beyond the music, you tend to appreciate the humility the guy called 2Face has. Irrespective of the status of any musician in the industry, he gives his best and he’s not scared of anyone outshining him.

Enough said, listen to, and download the song here: http://ibpulse.com/2014/08/hold-on-joel-el-ft-2face-idibia.html

The song was produced by Grammy Award winning Hakim Abdulsamad, Mixed and Mastered by Mark Drummond (Los Angeles, California).

PS: I also heard the video has been shot and was directed by Clarence Peters

I don't like GEJ but I agree with him on this one. Crazy is even an understatement, I think he was even being diplomatic. And all of u saying the president shouldn't have talked like that are naive of the impact that Sawyer's craziness is having on us as a country. If your sister is d nurse that died, would you still say d president shouldn't have called him crazy? I think the best word to use should be bioterrorism.