Category Health

Visit
By Ahmed Abba
Potiskum, April 2, 2020 (NAN) The Yobe COVID-19 Prevention and Control Committee on Thursday visited the National Youths Service Corp (NYSC) camp in Potiskum, to assess it for possible conversion to an isolation centre.

Idi Gubana, the state Deputy Governor who is also Chairman  of the committee, said the visit followed the Federal Government’s directive that all NYSC camps across the country, should be used as isolation centres if need be.

”The Yobe State Governor, MaiMala Buni is keenly following up what is happening globally and especially in Nigeria, which is why he directed this committee to visit the camp and make necessary arrangements in case of eventualities.

”Though the state has not recorded any outbreak of COVID-19, notwithstanding, we should be ready for any eventuality.

”That is why the committee is here, and we really appreciate what we have seen on ground because, the camp can accommodate as much as 3,000 patients if need be, though we are not praying for a single one,” Gubana  said.

Dr Muhammed Gana, the State Commissioner for Health, said if the need for the conversion arises, the committee would adhere strictly to the guidelines of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

”The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control has guidelines for the establishment of isolation centres. We will apply those guidelines to modify the camp to fit into isolation centre.

”So all the facilities that are needed, the restructuring and everything will be done if the need ariese,” he said. (NAN)
AIA/CCN/ISMA
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Edited by Chinyere Nwachukwu/Ismail Abdulaziz

Monitoring
By Awayi Kuje
Wakama (Nasarawa State), April 2, 2020 (NAN) The District Head of Wakama in Nasarawa State, Chief Adams Makka-Nangba, has urged residents to monitor movement of people into the area to curtail the spread of Coronavirus disease.

Makka- Nangba made the call on Thursday during the Wakama ward COVID-19 awareness meeting in his palace in Wakama, Akun Development Area of the state.

He said that the call became imperative in order to identify people who might come from different states for further necessary action in order to curtail the spread of the pandemic.

The district head urged residents and Nigerians at large to adhere strictly to the preventive measures against Coronavirus in order to stay safe.

Makka- Nangba said the vigilante personnel were advised to safeguard the district by monitoring the influx of people into the ward, especially those going to Eggon hills for mining of precious stones.

”Government has taken certain decisions in order to protect us and to tackle the spread of the pandemic,” he said.

Makka- Nangba urged his subjects and other Nigerians to respect and abide by all government decisions in order to enjoy more dividends of democracy and in the interest of their health.

Earlier, Mr Peter Angbashim, the Councilor representing Wakama Ward, said the meeting was aimed at discussing how to create more awareness on coronavirus.

Angbashim also urged people of the area to adhere strictly to the preventive measures of the pandemic as advised by the government and other health experts.

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting had in attendance, health officials, members of Christian Association of Nigeria, Jama’atu Nasril Islam, vigilante security personnel, village heads, among others. (NAN)
AKW/ORO/ISMA
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Edited by Razak Owolabi/Ismail Abdulaziz

Stigma

By Christian Njoku

Calabar, April 2, 2020 (NAN) Dr Jacinta Okoi-Obuli, a Consultant Paediatrician at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), on Thursday warned that stigmatising autistic children might worsen their mental development.

Okoi-Obuli gave the warning in Calabar at an event marking this year’s World Autism Awareness Day with theme, “The Transition to Adulthood.”

The World Autism Awareness Day is commemorated annually on April 2 to foster worldwide support and awareness for people living with the condition.

She said autistic children should be free to choose whatever they wanted as they had equal rights with other normal children, adding that they also needed special attention and schools.

The former Chairman, Medical Women Association, Cross River chapter, said for now, no one had been able to trace the cause of autism.

The consultant paediatrician however said that the condition was characterised by a person’s inability to communicate properly with others.

She said an autistic person might also have some forms of repetitive stereotyped pattern of behaviours caused by brain disorder.

Okoi-Obuli said a child who was autistic might exhibit traits like being antisocial, restrictive and used to a pattern of stereotyped behaviour like focusing on an item for an abnormally long time.

“Most of the autistic children are intelligent, just that they have this antisocial behaviours and are just stereotyped.

“They need to be supported socially both in education and healthcare like other normal children, in line with the United Nations (UN) convention of right of disable people into which category they fall.

“The main support they need is to encourage and give them special training in whatever they like doing so that they can cope with the society around them,” she said.

She added that there were support groups for autistic people in cities like Lagos and Abuja.

Okoi-Obuli called on parents with autistic children in Cross River to bring them to UCTH as there were specialists and training programmes to stimulate them and help them in their development.

Similarly, the Cross River Commissioner for Health, Dr. Betta Edu, said autism was a genetic disorder that affected the ability of a child to speak, maintain visual focus and several other symptoms.

Edu said the children might get irritated easily by noise and any other stimulant, adding that there was no treatment for autism other than managing the affected person all through life.

“What is important is for people to understand that these children have special talents. If you can identify one and help a child work on it, that child can become a star even with autism.

“So, it is not a cause for worry but a cause for special attention to the child to ensure that he or she is provided with the basic requirement for him or her to excel,” she said. (NAN)

CBN/CHOM/EMO
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Edited by Chioma Ugboma/Ejike Obeta

Patent medicine, pharmaceutical stores in Kaduna attribute hike in prices to COVID-19

Drugs

By Moses Kolo

Kaduna April 2, 2020 (NAN) Operators of Patent medicine and Pharmaceutical stores in parts Kaduna have attributed the increase in prices of drugs to limited supply due to the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country.

Investigations carried out by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Kaduna revealed that prices of over the counter and prescribed drugs had shot up, while some suppliers complained of low supplies from companies.

Mr Donald Olaniyan of Topic Pharmacy at Television Garage area told NAN that specific drugs including; Azithromycin and Hydrochloroquine had witnessed hike in prices, due to high demand.

“A pack of Hydrochloroquine that sold for about N4,000 is now sold for as much as N35,000 if you ever get to find it,” he said.

Olaniyan explained further that the shut down and restrictions of movement in most part of the country has negatively impacted on the price of the drugs.

“Beside the high demand in certain products including facemasks, hand sanitizers and Hydrochloroquine, there has been poor supply network in the past one week,” he said.

Also, Mrs Sarah Emmanuel who operates a patent medicine store in Barnawa said a card of paracetamol that sold N50 now sold for N70.

Others, according to Mrs Emmanuel, included Artemether, Cirprotab and Quaterm which had witnessed slight increment in prices.

“Artemether, for instance, was sold between N1, 400 to N3,000 depending on the company, is now sold for N2,500 to N5,000, respectively.

“Other items on high demand that witnessed price hike are products like; dettol, disinfectants and hand sanitizers,” she said.

Mr Raphael Ojo of Hosanna Pharmacy in Sabo area, said the closure of the borders and airports affected availability of drugs, which led to rise in prices.

“Some dealers capitalised on the unfortunate situation to hike prices of products, because such items are in high demand,” he said.

Miss Judith Okosun, staff of Worldwide Health Care, a Nigeria-based drug distribution company, told NAN that lack of access to raw material affected local production of drugs in Nigeria, while transportation bottlenecks also contributed in raising the cost of drugs.

“Sometimes, even essential workers with an ID, are harassed by security personnel while on routine supplies to our customers,” she explained.

Meanwhile, a crosssection of residents who spoke with NAN on the development, expressed the hope that normalcy would return after the coronavirus pandemic was over.

Mallam Shamsu Sidi, a parent, called on drug manufacturers as well as dealers to desist from taking undue advantage of emergency situations  to exploit the people.

Also, Mrs Jumai Badu, a resident of Ungwan Romi who commended the government over steps taken to curb the COVID-19 pandemic,  however, pleaded for intervention in making drugs available in public health centers. (NAN)

MGK/KTO/MZA
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Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo/Maharazu Ahmed

COVID-19
By Opeyemi Aremu-Gbemiro
Ado Ekiti, April 2, 2020 (NAN) A former governor of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose, said on Thursday that he had undergone voluntary testing for the coronavirus and had turned out negative.

Fayose, in a statement issued by his media aide, Lere Olayinka, said he was delighted to be adjudged free of the virus and asked more Nigerians to go for test while praying for victims.

” I took a Covid-19 test yesterday because of my percieved exposure in the last two weeks, I just got the result which is negative

” Notwithstanding, I will remain indoor like other Nigerians and I encourage more people to go for the test and remain at home in line with government directive,” Fayose was quoted as saying.

A former Deputy Governor in the state, Prof. Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, also urged every Nigerian to pray against the pandemic.

“Prayer changes things. Ernest prayers will change our situation for the better.

” Genuine prayers can solve numerous challenges and deliver us from noisome pestilence outbreaks such as the deadly coronavirus disease.

“ The word of God holds that, if His people who are called by His name will humble themselves and pray fervently, He will hear from heaven and heal their land

” The Lord is still in the business of hearing prayers. He will hear ours, and in the fullness of time, will heal our land.” he said in a statement.

He urged Nigerian leaders to show commitment to the welfare of the people and continue to seek the intervention of God in the affairs of the nation.

Olusola-Eleka urged government take sincere and proactive steps that would ensure efficient and effective health management systems capable of handling and managing current challenges.

He also appealed to the people of Ekiti to avoid staying in overcrowded areas while obeying all directives to fight the pandemic. (NAN)
OPA/USO/OJO
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(Edited by Sam Oditah/Mufutau Ojo)

Anxiety
By Kemi Akintokun

Lagos, April 2, 2020 (NAN)  Olumide Adegbokun, a Consultant Psychiatrist at the Alimosho General Hospital in Lagos has urged Nigerians to avoid activities that can trigger anxiety disorder, as the country records more cases of COVID-19.

Adegbokun told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday that the present pandemic ravaging the globe posed a mental health challenge to individuals.

NAN reports that anxiety disorders are a group of mental disorders characterised by significant feelings of anxiety and fear.

These feelings may cause physical symptoms, such as a fast heart beat and shakiness.

“Certain happening or event in the society can generate a negative mental health related issue if they are not properly addressed.

“Before COVID-19, their are patients that are being managed for anxiety disorder or other mental health disease, so the present situation can worsen or cause a relapse of the condition.

“Also, the daily spike of the virus in the country can trigger fresh episode of anxiety and depression in people who don’t have existing mental disorder.

“So, Nigerians need to be mindful of what goes on in their minds during this period, ” he advised.

According to the consultant, Nigerians should listen to information that are credible and ignore fake news being circulated on social media to avoid unnecessary panic.

“Nigerians should have in mind that they are not in this alone, it is a world wide thing which will come to an end and also depends on credible sources like the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

“This is the time to take a break from the 24 hours of news which can make anxiety to spike among people. We can reduce this to one or two hours of daily news in order not to hear frightening reports.

“We should also note that social distancing is just physical distancing, there are ways we can socialise with our family and friends through technology to bring down any form of anxiety.

“This is a time to also engage in activities that will give us a sense of purpose to stem the tides in the current situation.

“The present lockdown should give room for family bonding and different dimension of activities to guide our hearts against panic, ” Adegbokun said.

He advised Nigerians to maintain good hygiene so as to prevent and curb the spread of the virus. (NAN)

KOA/ORO/IU

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Edited by Razak Owolabi and Isaac Ukpoju

Distribution of N500m food: Group tasks Kaduna Govt. on transparency, accountability

Accountability

By Philip Yatai

Kaduna, April 2, 2020 (NAN) The Kaduna Social Protection Accountability Coalition (KADSPAC) has called on the Kaduna State Government to be accountable and transparent in the distribution of the N500 million foodstuffs to vulnerable groups in the state.

Chairman of the group, Ms Jessica Bartholomew, in a statement in Kaduna on Thursday, lauded the government for the initiative, which was necessary to avert hunger among vulnerable groups, following the lockdown of the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the state government had on March 27 locked down the state to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.

The state government had on Wednesday commenced the distribution of foodstuffs worth N500m to vulnerable people in the state to cushion the effect of the lockdown.

Bartholomew described the distribution of the food items as “lifesaving”, but expressed concern that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), media and people with disability were schemed out of the planning and distribution exercise.

According to her, the  development casts a cloud of suspicion on the process, and stressed that engaging CSOs and media was critical in bridging information gap between the government and citizens.

She also expressed concern at the low level of information on the modalities for the distribution of the food items.

“Not only that, the modalities for the constitution of the distribution clusters and the committees in the benefiting councils as well as the identification and selection of targeted beneficiaries are not made clear.

“There are already growing fears among the citizenry that the intervention might be hijacked by politicians while some vulnerable groups are already concerned that they might not make the list of beneficiaries,” she said.

She recalled that state government had signed unto the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and made commitment to reforms that ensure active citizen’s access to information and participation in government’s decision-making processes.

“The distribution of the foodstuff is timely as residents of the state have been expressing concern over growing hunger, particularly among the vulnerable groups due to the lockdown.

“This quick response did not come as a surprise as the government has already initiated the process of establishing a social protection system in the State.

“However, we are fully aware that due process in unusual times might be jettisoned in order to effectively confront humanitarian emergencies such as the Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world.

“Nonetheless, as a government that made a commitment to carry citizens along in the formulation and implementation of programmes and policies, it needs to strengthen its fiscal transparency and accountability instruments,” she said.

Bartholomew, therefore, appealed for the inclusion of civil society and media partners in all the relevant committees and clusters to ensure transparency and accountability.

She added that the government should also make public the disaggregated list of beneficiaries for follow-up and verification as part of measures to ensure that the intervention gets to the targeted groups.

“We are also appealing that the state’s Social Register that captures data on the vulnerable households across the state should be used for any social protection intervention in the state.

“We strongly believe that, if these issues are critically looked into and addressed in good time, the intervention will make a difference in the lives of the vulnerable who are badly affected by the lockdown,” she added.

NAN reports that KADSPAC, is a network of active civil society and media partners working to strengthen transparency and accountability in the Social Protection system in the State.

Its goal is to improve coordination and delivery of social protection programmes to benefit poor and vulnerable people in Kaduna state. (NAN)

FDY/ECN/ MZA

edited  by Emmanuel Nwoye/Maharazu Ahmed

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