Nigeria Muslim Nurses Fired For Hijab

Barely two months after finding their dream job at a Lagos governmental hospital, two Muslim nurses were dismissed from work for refusing to take off hijab after the hospital authorities told them to choose between job and their Islamic headscarf.




“At the commencement of the one month orientation, I was told to remove my hijab,” Fasilat Olayinka Lawal, one of the two nurses who were fired from the National Orthopaedic Hospital Igbobi Lagos (NOHIL), told OnIslam.net.

“I begged them to allow me and that I have a circular from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria which I presented to the head of Nursing Department, hence I was allowed to do the orientation wearing hijab.

”The story of Lawal and Sekinat Sanusi dates back to February when the two Muslim nurses did their medical examination to join NOHIL staff.

Asked to remove hijab, Lewal said, “I responded by telling (them) that I know other federal hospitals that allow hijab and I do not expect Igbobi to be an exception.

”“After that day, I made contact with colleagues in University College Hospital Ibadan (UCH) and Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital Ile-Ife (OAUTHC) and I was made to realize that there is a circular to that effect which they promised to get on my behalf and this raised my hope and gave me the courage to pick up my letter of appointment when I was called.

”The circular, cited by OnIslam.net correspondent, dates back to 11th February, 2002 and signed by the council's then Secretary General & Registrar, P.N. Ndatsu, said “female nurses should wear either a Nurse cap or a shoulder-length hijab.

”Receiving the circular, she forwarded it to the nursing admin office for orientation.Argument over hijab resurfaced again on March 23, Lawal said, when she accompanied her nursing dress with a shoulder-length hijab and was told she was “improperly dressed as I was using hijab and not a nurse cap.

”“On March 31, I was told to leave the ward as I was still wearing a hijab,” she added.Later on April, she was stopped from work and prevented from signing attendance register, a similar decision taken against Sanusi.


Legal Advice


The nurses’ case developed further in April when a disciplinary committee asked them to remove hijab and setting 15th April date to appear before the panel.

“We immediately sought a legal advice since we were determined not to remove our hijab,” Lawal told OnIslam.net.“[We] decided to proceed to court to stop any disciplinary actions taken against us and also seek redress with the court of law on the violation of our fundamental human rights and be allowed to work and wear our hijabs without let or hindrance as permitted by N&MCN, the only body permitted by law to regulate the nursing profession in Nigeria,” she narrated.

Lawal said despite the court papers served on the authorities, they were still prevented from resuming work, promoting their attorney to write the authorities on April 17 warning them of the consequences of their actions.

The hospital authorities were not moved and on 23 April, giving the two women a memo each to appear before the hospital management board.

“We met with the board and was told that by not removing our hijab we have committed an act of insubordination and disobedience which is punishable by the law of public service,” he said.

“We were asked if we were ready to retrace our steps by removing our hijab and we responded that we cannot remove our hijab and more so the matter is in court and we cannot take further steps without informing our lawyer.

Later that day, we were issued a letter of termination of service.

”In a swift reaction to the sacking, the medical director of the hospital Dr O. O. Odunibi said both women were not sacked because of hijab but for “insubordination.

”“The newly employed two nurses had their appointments terminated for insubordination and not for wearing hijab,” the medical director reacted in a text message to OnIslam.net on Sunday.

“If you come to the hospital you will see many members of staff in hijab. Case is incourt at their instance, so (I) can't discuss further.


”Efforts to speak to the chairperson of the NOHIL chapter of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, Mrs Agunloye, were turned down as she refused to comment on the incident.

“I cannot comment on it. Please direct your questions to the public relations officer of NOHIL,” Agunloye snapped, angrily dropping the call.

Muslim Anger

A leading Nigerian Islamic organization has blasted the decision of NOHIL hospital to dismiss the two Muslim nurses for donning Islamic headscarf, or hijab, expressing deep concerns over the increase of the level of discrimination in the country.

“By its latest action, NOHIL and the hospital management continue to show aggression against the victims and unrestrained and unaccountable hostility towards the Islamic faith,” MPAC Executive Director Disu Kamor said in a strong-worded statement to the media.

The body also condemned the hospital’s resort to self-help despite a court order that status quo be maintained.The statement added:


“The sisters will continue to demand justice, and the resolve of the Muslim community to stand with them is only strengthened by this latest act of aggression. Had these sisters continue to seek justice by all lawful means, MPAC honors them and their empowering stance.

“The decision to sack victims of discrimination is not only oppressive towards the victims, it is another stain on the history of NOHIL. Tyranny of employers, public and private, highlights the need for our lawmakers to do the right things and make laws that will criminalize discrimination on the basis of religions.

”The body encouraged Muslims in such situation elsewhere to report and taker lawful actions “against any employer that is forcing them to have to choose betweentheir religion and work.”MPAC urged all Muslim institutions and individuals to “lend their prayers and supports to these latest victims of discrimination against religion.

”Islam sees hijab as an obligatory code of dress, not a religious symbol.The issue of hijab has become controversial in Nigeria's southwest region where Muslims accuse public institutions of denying Muslim women/girls the right to wear hijab, as allowed by the constitution.

At least three court cases have been instituted at different instances, although a court ruling allowing hijab in public institution does exist.

A few years ago, Lagos authorities have banned the wearing of hijab at schools. The Muslim outfit is also outlawed in most south-western states.Muslims have sued the Lagos governmenton allowing Muslim students to wear the hijab at schools.

In May 2013, Lagos government officially applied for an out-of-court settlement on the wearing of hijab at public schools, ending the problem.Muslim leaders say that banning the headscarf violates the religious rights of Muslim students as spelt out in the Constitution.

Source:Onislam.net

Gowon hails guinea worm eradication in Nigeria

Former Nigeria Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, on Tuesday, expressed delight on the recent certification of the country as a Guinea Worm-free country by the World Health Organization (WHO).


He spoke during his visit to the Government House, Enugu in his capacity as the President and Chairman of the Yakubu Gowon Center to solicit for government support in the fight against Malaria and Lymphatic filariasis in the state.

He told the Governor that he was in Enugu to solicit his government’s assistance and support in the elimination of lymphatic filariasis andmalaria diseases found to be endemic in the state.

General Gowon, who is also the President of Yakubu Gowon Centre and Chairman Board of Trustees of the center, requested for at least two project vehicles to support the implementation of the programme in the state.


Other requests he made included approval and release of state National Tropical Disease budget of Five Million Naira, financial support to patients with Elephantiasis and Hydrocele diseases and directive to local government Chairmen in the state to release funds (N2 million) annually to the Primary Health Care Units in their areas.


General Gowon used the occasion to announce that World Health Organization (WHO) had certified Nigeria as free from Guinea worm disease and commended the Carter Center and all the Donor agencies and stakeholders who contributed in one way or the other to achieve the success.

He explained that both malaria and lymphatic filarasis diseases are caused by Anopheles Mosquito and appealed to the general public to always sleep under the net and also take drugs provided by WHO and the Federal Ministry of Health at the Health Clinics.


In a response, Chime expressed gratitude to the Yakubu Gowon Center, the Federal Ministry of Health and all other stakeholders for their contributions towards the total medication of the disease in the country.


The Governor who was represented by the Secretary to the state government, Mr. Amechi Okolo thanked General Gowon for his efforts to bring peace and development in the country.


He noted that Enugu State enjoyed unprecedented relationship with the Yakubu Gowon Center in the eradication of Guinea Worm diseases, adding that the state had already started the distribution of treated nets to the people.

The Governor noted that the two diseases – Malaria and Filariasis are endemic in the state and assured the visitors that Enugu State will corporate and give all the needed assistance in the fight and their total elimination.

Source: Daily post

Medical Union Implores FG Not to Privatize Services in Core Areas of University Teaching Hospitals

The Senior Staff Association of University Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes and Associated Institutions (SSAUTHRAI), after a 2-day meeting in Ilorin has issued a communique appealing to the Federal Government to reject outsourcing of services intertiary health institutions.

The communique, which was signed by Mr Olawale Ogundipe, Teaching/Specialist Sector Chairman of SSAUTHRAI, said the union "frowns and disagrees with the position of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) advocating outsourcing.

’’“Outsourcing of services is under the guise of Public Private Partnership (PPP) as now being done by some of our tertiary institutions is illegal and should be stopped,’’ the communique said.


The communique said outsourcing andcommercialisation were different in concept and practice from PPP.It said that if this was not checked, it would take the already expensive health care services out of the reach of common man while quality assurance would be highly compromised.


According to the communique, it will also heighten the already existing disharmony amongst health professionals in the health sector.

The union appealed to the government to suspend the privatisationof services in core areas in the name of PPP in tertiary health institution.

Nigeria: 90 Percent of Workers Lack Workplace Health Service

At least nine out of every 10 worker in Nigeria does not have any access at all to health service at their place of work, including those working in hospitals, the health ministry has admitted.

The revelation came as Nigeria marked work safety and health day by focusing on safe use of chemicals in everyday life.


Health minister Onyebuchi Chukwu said occupational health service was not available in "most companies, clinics, retainer hospitals and health facilities.



""Workers in Nigeria form above 49% of the total population and only 5 to 10% of these workers, who are the greatest assets of the nation, have access to occupational health service in spite of evident need at all workplaces," he said in comments delivered by health permanent secretary Linus Awute.



He said the country needed appropriate policies, guidelines, research and ideas to help "bring down tremendously" illnesses or health and medical challenges related to occupational health.


Nationwide, only six states so far have occupational health centres, according to Dr Bridget Okoegulae, director for public health at the federal health ministry.

The trio ministries of health, labour and environment are expected to work closer to raise awareness about occupation-related health and likely workplace dangers, especially involving use of chemicals, said Okoeguale.

More traction on policies regarding occupation health safety are expected from the next National Council on Health, the country's highest policy-making body for health.

Source: Allafrica.

Ogun launches community health insurance scheme

Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun State today launched the pilot phase of the States Community Based Health Insurance Scheme (CBHIS) tagged ‘ARAYA’.The governor also launched the second phase of the Conditional Cash Transfer ‘GBOMORO, expressing the belief that his government’s affordable and sustainable health care delivery system will serve as a reference point for others across the country.

The governor also launched the second phase of the Conditional Cash Transfer ‘GBOMORO, expressing the belief that his government’s affordable and sustainable health care delivery system will serve as a reference point for others across the country.

The programme will be rolled out in Ijebu Ode, Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Sagamu, Ado-Odo/Ota and Yewa South Local Government Areas before being extended to other parts of the State.According to the governor, “The Community Based Health Insurance Scheme is designed to provide financial protection against all causes of illness and improving access to quality health services for those who are excluded from the formal insurance.

“The wide spread participation in CBHIS across Ogun State will provide free-healthcare for the vulnerable group- pregnant mothers, children under five years and the aged (70 years and above) while the cost of health care for the general populace will also be subsidised bygovernment”, Amosun said.

The governor further explained that the main objective of GBOMORO is to increasethe access of low income pregnant women to basic health care, adding that, “under this GBOMORO Project, cash will be given to the vulnerable pregnant women to increase their access to maternal health services at selected health care centres”, he explained.

Benefit derivable from the CBHIS, according to the governor, include improved access to healthcare delivery by setting high standard; reduction of poverty in the state by reducing out of pocket expenses for health care delivery; augmentation of government expenditure on health, which is quite low in Nigeria; increased efficiency in thehealthcare delivery system and provision of free health care for pregnant women and children under five years through Conditional Cash Transfer Scheme GBOMORO.

In his presentation, Commissioner for Health, Dr. Olaokun Soyinka said beneficiaries of the scheme are expected to pay N7000 as premium per year which will be subsidised by the State government in collaboration with the beneficial Local Government Councils with N3000, thereby enabling the enrollees to pay N4000 per annum while vulnerable group,who are the pregnant women, under fives and over 70, would access it for free.

In his welcome address, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Dr. Rotimi Ogungbe said that the implementation of the scheme will addresspoor utilisation of health system which might have been caused as a result of poorhealth outcome to achieve universal healthinsurance coverage for the residents of Ogun State by 2015.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Millennium Development Goals (MDG), Mrs Hafsat Abiola-Costello said though support from the MDG will end by 2015, the scheme would guarantee continuation of the support for qualitative healthcare.

Chukwu - Why Jonathan Is Yet to Sign Health Bill

Minister of health, Professor Onyebuchi Chukwu, has explained that the democratic credential of President Goodluck Jonathan was responsible for the delay in signing the National Health Bill already passed into law by the National Assembly.

He made the explanation during an interactive meeting with management and staff of Federal Medical Centre Umuahia at the weekend, saying that Mr. President was such a leader that gives space to every opposing view on any issue.

"President Jonathan is the most democratic president we have ever had.That is why he has not signed the health bill. He listens to every complaint and analyses it. He is not making noise but fundamentally changing this country," he said.

Why a former doctor decided to start an online supermarket in Nigeria

Dr Olumide Olusanya is a former medical doctor who started an online supermarket in Nigeria, Gloo.ng. Originally called BuyCommonThings.com, Olusanya decided to change the name last year in an effort to make the brand catchier and “stick” with its customers.With his wife as his business partner, today Olusanya employs 12 people and operates out of 1,800m² warehouse in Lagos. Although the company is still in its startup phase, Olusanya’s vision for Gloo.ng is to “do to supermarket shopping in Africa what Amazon did to book shopping in the world”.


How we made it in Africa spoke to Olusanya to find out why he decided to start an online supermarket brand in Nigeria, the challenges he faces, and his future expansion plans.

Q: Why did you decide to move from a career in medicine to business?


I actually didn’t move straight from medicine to business. I have always been a lover of technology and so had wanted to study computer science or engineering in university but was coerced to study medicine by my dad. After practicing for a while, I went back to my first love – technology. I became an Oracle database administrator and AIX systems administrator. It was from these that I evolved into the business and entrepreneurial side of technology.

Q:What was the inspiration behind starting Gloo.ng, and how did you go about funding it?



The idea occurred to me while watching my extremely loving and dutiful wife combine keeping a happy home with holding down a full-time executive role. Gloo.ng is an outpouring of affection to my wife – and by extension, to all our target users – to try to relieve her, and our valued Gloo.ng users, of the stress of this balancing act, partnering with them to build the happiness they want to build into their homes and families, by saving them the precious time, the valuable money and the needless stress spent on the very unnecessary inconvenience of supermarket visits, which they can better spend on activities that promote their happiness, such has spending quality time with their family.

Seed funding came from an investment vehicle in which I had a very significant majority holding. Later up the line, friends and colleagues acted as angels to fund the business up to its present stage.

Q: Who are your customers?

The urban and sub-urban busy homemaker i.e. any active, employed, engaged, swamped person who takes care of – or manages the taking care of –his/her or someone else’s family, home and children in an urban or sub-urban area.


Q: Tell us about some of the challenges you face in running Gloo.ng, and how you plan to overcome them?

[Establishing] a trusted, efficient, secure and cost-effective means of receiving electronic payments for goods and services. I am sorry I cannot reveal our plans for dealing with this.

Q: What has been the best business decision you have made for Gloo.ng so far?

My choice of co-founder. I asked my wife after about three months of [running] Gloo.ng to resign from her executive role to join me in building Nigeria’s biggest supermarket place as a co-founder. She has not looked back since then – a daughter of consolation, a rock of support, and a treasure trove of advice. There would not have been a Gloo.ng as you now know it without this woman – either in idea or even in execution. She isas much a celebration of Gloo.ng as all our treasured Gloo.ng users are.


Q: Any expansion plans?

We have just signed an agreement for an[undisclosed amount] fund raise that we will use to blanket the whole of Lagos State with our service this 2014, once the funding closes. Next year, we start blanketing Nigeria. The long-range vision is to be the Quidsi.com of Africa.

Q: Describe three traits that make a good business manager in Nigeria.

Three traits are not enough in Nigeria. In Nigeria, you need all the following: tenacity, resilience, ability to work hard, passion, risk-tolerance and a good name/reputation.

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Stop Using Artesunate, Chloroquine for Malaria Treatment, Expert...

Mrs Nnenna Ezeigwe, National Coordinator National Malaria Control Programme on Friday in Abuja advised Nigerians against using Chloroquine and Artesunate for the treatment of malaria.

"If your test result is positive, take only Artemisinin Combination Therapy (ACTs). Do not treat malaria with chloroquine Artesunate or other monotherapies,"she said.


"The ACT with green leaf is good quality and affordable; Ask for it,’’ she said.

When contacted, Mrs Adeline Osakwe, Deputy Director, Pharmacovigilance, Food and Drugs Information Centre, NAFDAC, said the use of chloroquine and artesunate in Nigeria was being gradually phased out by not registering new ones and not renewing those that their licenses had expired.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) had placed a global ban on the use of chloroquine and Artesunate in 2005.

Nigeria: Insurgency - Health Services Collapse in North East - NEMA Report

Health services have collapsed in states affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East, a report from the National Emergency Management Agency has said.The report, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja Thursday, says that the insurgency has brought the health system to "total collapse" in most local government areas of Borno.


According to the report, 37 per cent of the primary health care centres in most affected local government areas have been shut because of the insurgency.The report further states that the existing health centres are overwhelmed by the number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) requiring health care assistance.It adds that in spite of relentless efforts from actors to attend to IDPs, the need for emergency health support is enormous.

"In spite of the of relentless efforts from actors on ground, the need for emergency health support are acute, especially regarding provision of health care for pre-existing conditions," the report states.

It also says that the risk of epidemics is high in states affected by the state of emergency but that WHO in partnership with the Ministry of Health in the affected states is carrying out disease surveillance in communities that are accessible.

Source: Daily Trust

What Your Poo Says About Your Health

Recall Daily Times did a story on ‘What Your Hands Say About You,’ now we will like you to read what your poo says about you. This is just to say, you don’t need to get worried, just read this and know where you need a medical attention.

Poo can be of any shape, size and colour but I’m very sure you didn’t bother to look at how your look like before flushing. Meanwhile, the colour of your stool can be a guide to your health status.

GREEN STOOLS

Green stools often suggest food is being digested too quickly, but can also be caused by eating a lot of vegetables or green food dye.


WHITE POO

White poo is caused by a shortage of bile which can result from a bile duct blockage. For example, a gallstone can block the bile duct causing white stools. This will also cause stomach pain, dark urine and jaundice.

YELLOW STOOLS

Yellow faeces can be produced and often is also greasy and smells of sour eggs. This occurs when there is a lot of fat in the poo that has not been metabolised. The can be a sign of coeliac disease and anyone with this symptom is advised to visit their doctor.



Coeliac is an autoimmunedisorder of the small intestine that occurs in genetically predisposed people of all ages from middle infancy onward. Symptoms include pain and discomfort in the digestive tract, chronic constipation anddiarrhoea,failure to thrive(in children),anaemia and fatigue, but these may be absent, and symptoms in other organ systems have been described.

Vitamin deficiencies are often noted in people with coeliac disease owing to the reduced ability of the small intestine to properly absorb nutrients from food.


BLACK STOOLS

Many factors can cause poo to be black. It can result from consuming liquorice or Guinness and can also be triggered by taking iron supplements. Black poo can also be a sign of something more sinister. It can be suggestive of bleeding in the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract and this can be triggered by a tumour or an ulcer. If the blackness is caused by bleeding, the poo is often also tar-like and will smell foul.Black poo can indicate that there is bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal tract and this can be caused by a tumour or an ulcer

OTHER COLOURS

Another possible sign of health problems is bright red faeces. Producing red poo is quite common and can be caused by consuming beetroot, tomatoes and cranberries.But, it can also be a sign of bleeding lower down in the intestinal tract or of haemorrhoids.

Possibly, people can also produce silver stools. Unfortunately, this is a sign of very bad intestinal health. It can suggest a blockage in the bile duct and bleeding in the upper part of the intestines. This is because when white poo caused by a lack of bile mixes with blood, it becomes silver. As a result, it is recommended that anyone who notices their poo turn silver heads straight to hospital.


Source: http://www.dailytimes.com.ng/article/what-your-poo-says-about-your-health

Enact a Law to Enforce Polio Immunization, Says Emir

In a bid to curb the spread of polio in Bauchi,the Emir of the State,Alhaji Rulwanu Suleiman, on Saturday called on the state government to enact a law onpolio immunization.

According to report, the Emir represented by the Dam Amar Bauchi,Alhaji Hassan Bayero, made the call in Bauchi at a roundtable on ways to curb polio organized by the Voice of America (VOA) and the Centre for Disease Control.

He said it would force parents who refused to bring out their children and wards for immunization.He explained that though the disease had reduced in the state, especially in Bauchi and Toro local government areas, there was still the need for a law to sanction defaulting parents.

However, Suleiman warned against the use of underage persons as vaccinators, which led to some of the non-compliance in previous exercises.


Report stated that in his contribution, a cleric with the Bauchi State Shari’ah Commission, Uztaz Hadi Abubakar, disabused the minds of the people that the administration of polio vaccine was un-Islamic.Abubakar explained that it was wrong for parents and guardians to prevent their children and wards from being immunized.



Some vaccinators, who attended the occasion, complained about the shortage of pluses given to children during the exercise and urged the state government to provide more pluses for distribution. (NAN)

WHO invites Nurses to join the Global Clinical Practice Network (GCPN) for ICD-11 Mental and Behavioural Disorders

The World Health Organization’s Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse is forming a global network of mental health
professionals to help inform the development of the classification of Mental and Behavioural
Disorders in next version of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), currently planned for publication in 2015.

We are writing to invite you to register for the new Global Clinical Practice Network (GCPN). As a part of this international group of mental health professionals, you will be asked provide information and feedback to us based on your
clinical expertise, experience, and knowledge as we develop the new classification of mental and behavioural disorders. This is of vital importance to ensuring that the new classification is clinically useful, easy to use and accurate.


The process of developing the Mental and Behavioural Disorders chapter of ICD-11 is fully multidisciplinary, and nursing is formally represented on the International Advisory Group for this effort.

We are specifically interested in the participation of nurses in the
GCPN due to their global importance in providing mental health and primary care services.


If you choose to participate, you may be asked to review materials, offer feedback about ideas or concepts that we are developing, or
participate in specific types of field studies.


The information you provide will inform our decisions about the content and structure of the new classification system, as well as how
that information will be presented to different users.

The surveys that we send to you will be based on your own professional interests and areas of expertise.

Once registered in the GCPN, you will receive survey requests no more than once a month, and each survey will take approximately 20 –
30 minutes to complete. Your participation will be completely voluntary, and your responses
will be kept confidential, secure, and will not be released to anyone else. We will never ask you to provide information that could be used to identify any of your patients.

Data are to be analyzed in aggregate form and used exclusively for the purpose of ICD revision.

The first studies have already begun. There are now more than 10,000 participants enrolled in
the GCPN, from 127 countries. From the main link below, you can choose to register in any of
nine languages (Arabic, Chinese, English,French, German, Japanese, Portuguese,Russian, and Spanish).
To register for WHO Global Clinical Practice Network, please click on this link or paste it into your Internet browser:
http://www.globalclinicalpractice.net

If you have any questions about the Global Clinical Practice Network or about your participation, please contact
Dr. Tahilia Rebello, GCPN Project Coordinator, at gcpn@who.int.



Rachel Breman, MSN, MPH, RN
Nurse Educator and GANM Moderator
Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing
PAHO/WHO Collaborating Center
525 N. Wolfe St
Baltimore, MD 21205
Room 440
rbreman1@jhu.edu
phone: 301 503 9433

Measles cases at highest level in nearly 20 years, CDC reports

(CNN)-- More people have been infected with measles in the United States during the first four months of this year than have been infected in the first four months of the past 18 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Data released Thursday reveal a dramatic rise in measles outbreaks.


Health officials say 13 outbreaks and 129 cases have beenrecorded this year, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.California is reporting the highest numbers,with 58 cases from January 1 to April 14. That's the most cases of measles in the state since 1995.

In the past 13 years, the average number of measles cases was nine per year.The CDC says many of the California cases are a result of people visiting the Philippines, which is experiencing a very large measles outbreak; at least 20,000 confirmed and suspected cases have been reported in the Asian nation. Visitors may pick up the disease and bring it back to the U.S., potentially infecting those who cannot be vaccinated against the measles because they are too young, for example, or who have intentionally remained unvaccinated.

Another problem that may be contributing to the increase in cases is a lack of awareness among doctors."Because of the success of the measles vaccine, many clinicians have never seen measles and may not be able to recognize its features," Dr. Julia Sammons writes in a commentary published Thursday in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases. Symptoms usually include fever, cough and conjunctivitis, along with a rash. In rare cases, measles can lead to pneumonia and brain infections, which can be fatal.


The last time there was a reported death from measles in the U.S. was in 2005, says Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Schuchat credits the CDC's Vaccines for Children program with contributing to high immunization rates and the dramatic decrease of measles in the U.S.In the U.S., half of all children under 19 are eligible for the program, which provides vaccines to children whose parents or caregivers can't afford them.


According to the CDC, vaccinations have proved to be very successful in the U.S., preventing an estimated 323 million illnesses and 732,000 deaths. Schuchat says it's impossible to predict what the coming months will bring, but she thinks more people could die from measles.

"Unfortunately, it's probably just a matter atime."The CDC recommends that children get two doses of the measles vaccine beginning at 12 months, with the second dose between the ages of 4 and 6 years old. Infants 6 to 11 months old should get the vaccine before international travel.

Schuchat says it's absolutely crucial for measles vaccinations to be up to date.To further reduce the spread of measles, the CDC also recommends that all U.S. residents born after 1956 ensure that they are still immune to measles or receive a new MMR vaccination, particularly if they expect to travel outside North or South America.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/24/health/measles-record-number/

Reasons for you to date a nurse

1. Nurses are compassionate and patient, and are often great listeners.

2. Nurses are super-smart. If you’re into both brains and beauty, your date can deliver.

3. Tired of nursing that hangover? Let an actual nurse work his/her feel-better magic.

4. Nurses have seen bodies of all shapes and sizes — and witnessed every kind of bodily function imaginable. Your insecurities and body quirks will likely leave your date unfazed.


5. No waiting in line. You’ll get a quick diagnosis every time you feel under the weather.

6. The uniform. It’s not just sexy on Halloween. (Translation: those scrubs just look so cute and comfy.)

7. Impressive nerves. Nurses remain calm and collected in pretty stressful situations. You want to be dating a nurse in times of emergency and chaos.

8. Nurses work long hours. So if you want a little alone time, a nurse’s crazy schedule might suit you just fine. (Also, with odd hours come odd date times. Monday afternoon might become the new Friday night.)

9. Nurses make great future parents. No pressure or anything.

10. You’ll be safe. Date a nurse and you’ve got instant access to CPR, safety advice and disease-prevention tips.

11. Awesome “How was your day?” stories. Nurses have endless tales of patient and or doctor drama.

12. You’ll start to understand the medical jargon on your favorite medical dramas.

13. Nurses will love your thoughtful gestures. They give to others all day and can often feel unappreciated.

14. Nurses understand selflessness, one of the key ingredients to a healthy relationship.


15. Your date saves lives. That’s brag-worthy.

NUC Condemns The Introduction Of “Third” Semester By Private Universities

The National Universities Commission (NUC), Executive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie has criticized the introduction of a third semester programme by private universities in their academic calendars as against the two semester system approved by the commission.

Speaking at a meeting with vice-chancellors and registrars of private universities in Abuja, Okojie said this new system was alien to the nation’s education system and it would not be condoned by the commission.He stressed that “this is erosion to the university tradition”.

According to him, the commission would soon conduct a census of all professional programmes in the Nigerian university system with a view to identifying institutions running unapproved programmes.

While condemning the award of honorary degrees by some universities during matriculation ceremonies, Okojie said though NUC is the statutory accrediting body of programmes in the nation’s universities, professional bodies were expected to compliment the efforts of the commission by ensuring that conflicting results were not issued and academic calendars were not frequently disrupted.

Ugandan nurse accused of spreading HIV

Kampala - Goaded by journalists who wanted a clear view of her face, the Ugandan nurse looked dazed and on the verge of tears.


The Ugandan press had dubbed her “the killer nurse”, after the HIV-infected medical worker was accused of deliberately injecting her blood into a two-year-old patient.

The 64-year-old nurse, Rosemary Namubiru, was charged with attempted murder, denied bail and sent to jail in an unusual case that many here saw as a horrifying example of the lax hospital standards believed to be prevalent in the East African country.

But in the course of her trial - on the revised charge of criminal negligence - the nurse is attracting sympathy and emerging as the apparent victim of rampant stigma in a country that until recently was being praised as a global leader in fighting Aids and promoting an open attitude toward the disease.

The nurse, while attempting to give an injection to a distraught child on January 7, accidentally pricked her finger with a needle, according to Aids-Free World, an international advocacy group that has been monitoring the ongoing trial.

After bandaging her finger she returned to administer the injection, apparently using the contaminated needle. Uncertain about whether the same needle was used, the child's mother “became concerned about the possibility that her child had been exposed to HIV”, the group said.

After a test showed the nurse was HIV-positive, she was arrested and prosecutors argued against giving her bail on the grounds that she posed a grave danger to the public.If convicted, the nurse faces seven years in jail and would be the first Ugandan medical worker to be sentenced under a colonial-era law against negligent acts likely to lead to the spread of an infectious disease.

The child who may have been exposed to HIV was given post-exposure treatment and will be tested again for HIV in the coming days, according to lawyers and activists familiar with the case.

Namubiru's trial has consequences for the rights of people with HIV and Aids, say Aids activists in Uganda and abroad.


Uganda, which achieved global attention in the 1990s for its efforts to stem the spread of the disease, has about 1.5 million people living with HIV out of a total population of 36 million. Activists note that it's virtually impossible to find a Ugandan family that hasn't been affected by the disease since it was first reported here in the 1980s. Yet stigma toward people suffering from Aids persists, shocking activists.

The nurse's case illustrates “the failure of both the media and the prosecutor's office to act responsibly” and could set “a dangerous precedent and could have grave consequences for the fundamental rights of people living with HIV and Aids in Uganda and beyond”, said Aids-Free World in a statement.Namubiru shouldn't be on trial and her case should simply have been referred to the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council,a statutory body charged with protecting the public from unsafe nursing practices, said Dorah Kiconco, a Ugandan lawyer who runs a watchdog group called the Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV and Aids.

“She was working and she got into a bad accident and it should have been treated as such,” Kiconco said. “She's on trial because of her HIV status.”Jane Kajuga,a spokeswoman for Uganda's public prosecutor, defended the decision to press charges, saying there's evidence a crime was committed.

The Global Commission on HIV and the Law said the nurse's “life has been ruined”.“No matter the outcome of the trial, the panorama of ferociously intemperate accusation will haunt her and her family forever.”

Uganda's HIV rate has been rising in recent times, confounding officials who succeeded in reducing the prevalence from 18 percent in 1992 to 6.4 percent in 2005. Now the rate stands at 7.3 percent, according to the most recent survey by Uganda's Ministry of Health.

Ugandan health officials say more married couples are getting infected, in part because of what campaigners have dubbed a “sexualnetwork” in which married people keep secret lovers. Billboards in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, urge couples to “put your love to the test” by testing for HIV.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni last year publicly tested for HIV in a bid to spark similar action among reluctant Ugandans.

Although being HIV-positive no longer spells a death sentence, even for poor Ugandans, public knowledge of one's HIV-positive status can destroy a life. A Ugandan man who worked in the presidential palace as a gardener recently accused his bosses of firing him after they discovered that he was infected with HIV.

Ugandan Major Rubaramira Ruranga, one of few officials who have publicly revealed they have HIV in a bid to discourage stigma, said the case against the nurse proves that “stigma still rages on” in Uganda.

“If I were her I would be very angry, I would feel isolated and I would feel dejected,” he said. “She was brutalised.” - Sapa-AP

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/ugandan-nurse-accused-of-spreading-hiv-1.1675713

Ugandan nurse accused of spreading HIV

Kampala - Goaded by journalists who wanted a clear view of her face, the Ugandan nurse looked dazed and on the verge of tears.

The Ugandan press had dubbed her “the killer nurse”, after the HIV-infected medical worker was accused of deliberately injecting her blood into a two-year-old patient.

The 64-year-old nurse, Rosemary Namubiru, was charged with attempted murder, denied bail and sent to jail in an unusual case that many here saw as a horrifying example of the lax hospital standards believed to be prevalent in the East African country.

But in the course of her trial - on the revised charge of criminal negligence - the nurse is attracting sympathy and emerging as the apparent victim of rampant stigma in a country that until recently was being praised as a global leader in fighting Aids and promoting an open attitude toward the disease.


The nurse, while attempting to give an injection to a distraught child on January 7, accidentally pricked her finger with a needle, according to Aids-Free World, an international advocacy group that has been monitoring the ongoing trial.

After bandaging her finger she returned to administer the injection, apparently using the contaminated needle.

Uncertain about whether the same needle was used, the child's mother “became concerned about the possibility that her child had been exposed to HIV”, the groupsaid.

After a test showed the nurse was HIV-positive, she was arrested and prosecutors argued against giving her bail on the grounds that she posed a grave danger to the public.


If convicted, the nurse faces seven years in jail and would be the first Ugandan medical worker to be sentenced under a colonial-era law against negligent acts likely to lead to the spread of an infectious disease.

The child who may have been exposed to HIV was given post-exposure treatment and will be tested again for HIV in the coming days, according to lawyers and activists familiar with the case.


Namubiru's trial has consequences for the rights of people with HIV and Aids, say Aids activists in Uganda and abroad. Uganda, which achieved global attention in the 1990s for its efforts to stem the spread of the disease, has about 1.5 million people living with HIV out of a total population of 36 million.

Activists note that it's virtually impossible to find a Ugandan family that hasn't been affected by the disease since it was first reported here in the 1980s. Yet stigma toward people suffering from Aids persists, shocking activists.

The nurse's case illustrates “the failure of both the media and the prosecutor's office to act responsibly” and could set “a dangerous precedent and could have grave consequences for the fundamental rights of people living with HIV and Aids inUganda and beyond”, said Aids-Free World in a statement.

Namubiru shouldn't be on trial and her case should simply have been referred to the Uganda Nurses and Midwives Council,a statutory body charged with protecting the public from unsafe nursing practices, said Dorah Kiconco, a Ugandan lawyer who runs a watchdog group called the Uganda Network on Law, Ethics and HIV and Aids.


“She was working and she got into a bad accident and it should have been treated as such,” Kiconco said.

“She's on trial because of her HIV status.”Jane Kajuga, a spokeswoman for Uganda's public prosecutor, defended the decision to press charges, saying there's evidence a crime was committed.


The Global Commission on HIV and the Law said the nurse's “life has been ruined”.“No matter the outcome of the trial, the panorama of ferociously intemperate accusation will haunt her and her family forever.

”Uganda's HIV rate has been rising in recent times, confounding officials who succeeded in reducing the prevalence from 18 percent in 1992 to 6.4 percent in 2005. Now the rate stands at 7.3 percent, according to the most recent survey by Uganda's Ministry of Health. Ugandan health officials say more married couples are getting infected, in part because of what campaigners have dubbed a “sexual network” in which married people keep secret lovers.

Billboards in Kampala, the Ugandan capital, urge couples to “put your love to the test” by testing for HIV.Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni last year publicly tested for HIV in a bid to spark similar action among reluctant Ugandans.

Although being HIV-positive no longer spells a death sentence, even for poor Ugandans, public knowledge of one's HIV-positive status can destroy a life.

A Ugandan man who worked in the presidential palace as a gardener recently accused his bosses of firing him after they discovered that he was infected with HIV.

Ugandan Major Rubaramira Ruranga, one of few officials who have publicly revealed they have HIV in a bid to discourage stigma, said the case against the nurse proves that “stigma still rages on” in Uganda.

“If I were her I would be very angry, I would feel isolated and I would feel dejected,” he said. “She was brutalised.” - Sapa-AP



Source: http://www.iol.co.za/news/africa/ugandan-nurse-accused-of-spreading-hiv-1.1675713

UNLV researchers author first-ever scholarly report on experiences of placenta-eating moms

The growing practice of women consuming their placenta has caught the attention of two UNLV researchers, who this week (Feb,2013)published the first experiential study on human placentophagia.


The report, published Wednesday in the Ecology, Food and Nutrition journal, outlines a mother's motivations behind and experience with consuming their placenta.UNLV anthropology professor Daniel Benyshek and graduate assistant Sharon Young became interested in placentophagia after meeting North Las Vegas mother and advocate Jodi Selander at a campus event.

Selander helped the UNLV researchers find survey respondents through her extensive network of placenta specialists. Although Selander co-authored the study, she did not analyze the data.

Researchers surveyed 189 women engaging in placentophagy about their consumption habits and reactions. The majority of survey respondents were from the United States, but there were a few women from Canada, Australia, Singaporeand the United Kingdom.

The women in the study were overwhelmingly white, married, college-educated and were solidly middle- to upper-middle class. Most of the women had home births.The majority of the women in the survey engaged in placentophagy once, and steam-cooked their placenta before turning the placenta into pills.

However, as women had more children, they were more likely to experiment with other preparation methods, such as dehydrating raw placenta before encapsulation.

A small number of women cooked their placenta into food, or ate it raw.Most women said they engaged in placentophagy to improve their mood and improve lactation. Many said the practice was recommended to them by their midwife or an advocate of the practice.

Overall, 96 percent of the women said they had a “positive” or “very positive” experience consuming their placenta, and 98 percent said they would do it again.

In recent years, placentophagy has come out from the shadows of the home-birth movement, embraced by celebrities like January Jones and hyped in popular media. Las Vegas resident Holly Madison, former reality television star and Strip headliner, recently blogged on Celebuzz, “This might sound gross, but I’m totally planning on having my placenta turned into pills I can take after giving birth. I heard it helps women recover faster and I want to recover as quickly as I can!”

However, the practice has its skeptics who point to a wide range of negative side effects, including headaches and upset stomachs. Other critics have argued the placenta pills have no positive or negative effects.

About 57 percent of women in UNLV’s study reported no negative effects from ingesting placenta. The most commonly reported negative experience revolved around the pill's taste and the "ick" factor of consuming placenta.

Ultimately, UNLV researchers hope to resolve this debate by conducting the world's first definitive study on the effectiveness of placenta pills — a sort of placebo versus placenta study.To that end, Benyshek and Young are analyzing the nutrient and hormone content of the human placenta and testingthe best ways to prepare it for human consumption.

Eventually, they hope to discover what, if anything, makes the placenta so potent a remedy for the baby blues, and whether there are any risks involved.

"We hope to have some empirical data that can actually inform what sort of effects human placenta can have," Benyshek said.

"It may in fact be that there are benefits and risks we don't know about. Maybe it's benign. Any of these are possible.


"UNLV Study Highlights

*.UNLV researchers surveyed 189 women who had ingested their placenta after the birth of at least one child. The survey was conducted between October and November of 2010.

*.Demographics of survey respondents:

*.• 91 percent were from the U.S.

*.• 93 percent were white

*.• 90 percent were married

*.• 58 percent reported a household income over $50,000 a year

*.Top positive self-reported effects of placentophagy:

*.• Improved mood

*.• Increased energy

*.• Improved lactation

*.Top negative self-reported side effects of placentophagy:

*.• Unpleasant burping

*.• Headaches

*.• Unappealing taste or smell

Source: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/mar/01/unlv-researchers-author-first-ever-scholarly-repor/

ICM VIRTUAL INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE MIDWIFE ANNOUNCEMENT.

The Virtual International Day of the Midwife (VIDM) celebrates the International Day of the Midwife by bringing midwives, students,
consumers and all parties interested in childbirth from across the globe together using online electronic media.


This FREE ONLINE CONFERENCE starts 10AM, 5th of May, New Zealand time: http://tinyurl.com/q33yw3u and features speakers such as Frances Day-Stirk and Barbara Katz Rothman. The program runs for 24 hours and has presenters from all over the world covering a range of clinical,
professional and international topics.


Recordings of the sessions will be freely available on our website after the conference.

For full information, please go to the VIDM 2014 website: http://www.vidm.org

If you have any queries about the conference or how to use the technology, please contact
the conference organisers:

Email: info@vidm.org

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VirtualInternationalDayoftheMidwife
Twitter: @VIDofM

Doctor and nurse duties must change: report

CHRIS UHLMANN: In Australian public hospitals, it's taken for granted that doctors do jobs such as sedate patients for simple procedures, but an influential think tank says that sort of thinking is costly and has to change.

The Grattan Institute recommends nurses be trained to do it.

The think tank's latest report also questions the practice of nurses bathing and feeding patients who can't do it themselves.It's suggested that nursing assistants take over the role.

The report finds doctors and nurses are squandering valuable skills on work that other people could do.

Brendan Trembath reports.


BRENDAN TREMBATH: Doctors and nurses have clearly defined roles in the nation's public hospitals.But the Grattan Institute health program director Stephen Duckett questions conventions such as doctors providing light sedation, to patients having simple procedures.

STEPHEN DUCKETT: We're suggesting for example the introduction of sedation nurses who can monitor patients and administer anaesthetics to patients who are conscious while they're having a procedure undertaken. And, again, there's evidence from overseas, the United States and England, that this works very well; we're using the skills of nurses it's quite safe and we should be freeing up doctors to do the work that only doctors can do.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: That might be okay for most cases, but how can you ensure the safety of patients if something goes wrong.

STEPHEN DUCKETT: A very good point, what we want to do is to make sure that the doctor is involved in the assessment of the patients to make sure that the patients that do have sedation nurses rather than anaesthetists doing the anaesthetic, the more simple ones and so on. We're also suggesting that this work be done under the supervision of doctors, that is that there be doctors in the operating rooms for example in the next door operating room in case something goes wrong.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Doctors and nurses have their defined roles at the moment, why change things?

STEPHEN DUCKETT: Well these defined roles developed sometimes 100 years ago and we've got to update the system and basically, what we're saying is that there's increasing demand on the health sector that we're going to be having a whole lot more patients, increased population, aging of the population and so what we want to do is make sure that this growth is sustainable, one way of making it sustainable is to make sure that we provide for this growth in an efficient way.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: Are there any cost savings?

STEPHEN DUCKETT: Yes, there's about $430million in cost savings if we've done that this year.

BRENDAN TREMBATH: The Grattan Institute consulted doctors, nurses and the states.Stephen Duckett says it's a very well founded report.But a national doctors group argues it does not reflect what goes on in modern hospitals.Geoff Dobb is the vice president at the Australian Medical Association.

GEOFF DOBB: You never know the onset of a procedure how it's going to pan out and during any procedure there is the potential for someone to have an adverse reaction to one of the sedative drugs, to have an idiosyncratic reaction, that is to react in a greater way than someone would normally, by way of say dropping their blood pressure or dropping their respiratory rate; it's only after the procedure is completed you know that it's been straight forward and uncomplicated.

CHRIS ULHMANN: Professor Geoff Dobb from the Australian Medical Association ending that report by Brendan Trembath

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2014/s3984686.htm

Expert nurses diagnose same way as doctors

Patients can trust expert nurses as much as doctors to diagnose tricky health complaints, according to Massey University research.The new study aimed to silence critics of a push to give nurse practitioners similar powers to doctors to diagnose patients andprescribe drugs.

Dr Alison Pirret, a nurse practitioner who carried out the research, said some medical professionals wrongly believed nurse practitioners did not have the same reasoning ability as doctors to diagnose conditions.

"It was reassuring to know nurse practitioners did perform just as well."

The research involved 30 nurses and 16 registrars making a diagnosis of a man withvarious ailments including flu-like symptoms, back pain and abdominal pain.

Pirret found there was no difference between the reasoning or diagnostic style between the two professionals.


A nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has completed a clinical masters degree in nursing.These expert nurse roles were set up to reduce the effects of doctor shortages.

However, Pirret said there were many barriers preventing nurses from becoming practitioners.


"There's always been a little fear from doctors that nurse practitioners will take some funding."




There are about 137 registered nurse practitioners, of the 1000 nurses who have completed the qualification since it was recognised in 2001.

Concerns have been raised that a lack funding and jobs means nurse practitionersare being underutilised.Ian Powell, director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, said questions remained on whether there were enough jobs for nurse practitioners.


However, he agreed expert nurses could ease the workload of doctors. "If this advances the careers and professional skills of nurses, then there is a logic there."


Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/9964150/Expert-nurses-diagnose-same-way-as-doctors

Nurse 'Lost Her Job Over Christian Beliefs'

A nursery nurse has said she lost her job after telling a gay colleague her beliefs on homosexuality as a Christian.

Sarah Mbuyi said she made the comment after she was asked about her Christian beliefs by a co-worker at New Park Child care in Highbury, north London, in January.


Andrea Williams, chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre which is assisting Ms Mbuyi, said the Government has "seriously let down" the Christian community.

Ms Mbuyi is claiming unfair dismissal on the grounds of religious discrimination.She said: "When I said 'no, God does not condone the practice of homosexuality, but does love you and says you should come to Him as you are', she became emotional and went off to report me to my manager."


During an internal disciplinary hearing she claimed her colleague had alleged she raised the issue of homosexuality of a number of occasions.

She was dismissed for gross misconduct.Ms Mbuyi added: "My disciplinary hearing was hopelessly one-sided because they put my accuser's claims to me as fact, without any forewarning and so I wasn't prepared.

"It seemed to me they had already made up their minds to justify sacking me, before hearing my side of the story."


Ms Williams called for Prime Minister David Cameron to intervene in the case.She said: "Sharing Biblical truths out of genuine love and concern for colleagues is being outlawed in the workplace by a dominating cultural correctness."


Sarah's case demonstrates the confusion we're experiencing in current times.


"David Cameron has given public recognition of the enormous positive impact that Jesus Christ has had on our nation but he wants to mould Christianity to his political agenda."

In an article for the Church Times this week, Mr Cameron said Britain should be "more confident about our status as a Christian country".

Source: http://news.sky.com/story/1245924/nurse-lost-her-job-over-christian-beliefs

Why big buttocks can be bad for your health-BBC

The demand for bigger buttocks in Venezuela means some women will even have banned injections to achieve them, putting their health at risk.

It is with tears in her eyes that Denny recounts how she woke up one day to find a bump the size of a football in her lower back.

She could not walk or bend down, and the painwas intense.Even before she saw a doctor, Denny, a 35-year-old Venezuelan lawyer, knew the bump must be a side-effect of liquid silicone that had been injected in her buttocks. Read more from http://m.bbc.com/news/health-27026521

Nurse, 3 others Charged for Aborting Pregnancy in Kano

A Nurse and three others were on Wednesday charged before a Kano Chief Magistrates’ Court for aborting the pregnancy of an 18 year-old woman, Aisha Auwalu.


The police Prosecutor, Insp. Anthony Edward, said that the accused conspired and aborted the pregnancy contrary to sections 97 and 234 of Penal Code.He told the court that one Salisu Sani, reportedto police that one Baffa Bello, allegedly impregnated his sister. Edward said Sani also alleged that that Bello took Aisha to a patent drug seller, one Usman Ibrahim, and paid him N3, 000 for the abortion.

He told the court that Usman gave Aisha some drugs with the assurance that the pregnancy would be terminated in three hours, but was not aborted for three days.

Edward alleged further that the drugs seller then took Aisha to one Adamu Yekini, a nurse in one of the private clinics in Kano where he also charged them N5, 000.He said that the nurse injected Aisha as a result of which she started bleeding and was later rushed to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for medical treatment.

At the hospital, the doctors confirmed that the pregnancy was aborted,’’ he said.

However, the accused persons pleaded not guilty to the charge.The Chief Magistrate, Muntari Ahmad, ordered the appearance of the victim at the next hearing.

Ahmad adjourned the case to April 25 for the continuation of hearing.

Ondo Trains Traditional Birth Attendants

In a bid to enable traditional midwives acquire vocational skills with a view to reducing maternal mortality in the state, the Ondo State Government on Wednesday organised a training programme for traditional midwives.

According to the state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Dayo Adeyanju, the skills acquisition programme would empower the participants drawn from Akure South Local Government Area of the state.

Adeyanju also said there was the need to partner with the midwives, especially in thereferral of patients to the state-owned Mother and Child Hospital.He said, this will enable pregnant women and nursing mothers access better health care services provided by government.

“We have created better job opportunity byempowering them and ensuring they have a job; this is why we are asking them to be referring their patients to state-own hospital.

“We are training them under a skills acquisition programme using Akure South Local Government as a pilot phase,” he said.

He said participants would benefit from micro credit facilities to enable them start their own businesses.

Also, participants were being trained on catering services, soap making, beads making as well as tie and dye.

Mrs Funmilola Oluwadare, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Maternal Death Reduction, also said the programme would curb illegal activities of traditional midwives.

Oluwadere, however, appealed to the midwives to abide by the rules given to them by the state government.

One of the participants, Mrs Omonilale Fasakin, commended the state governmentover the initiative, saying it had created an alternative means of earning a livelihood.

posted from Bloggeroid

Post MDG: Keeping Healthworkers at the Centre

'The Millennium Development Goals are soon coming to an end. [IntraHealth International] President and CEO Pape Gaye offers five key steps to keeping health workers at the center of our next set of global commitments...' Below are extracts. The full text may be read here: http://bit.ly/1kHlqg1 Here are five key steps we in the global health and development field can take to make sure health workers are part of the world’s post-2015 commitments: 1. Give health workers a voice... 'Health workers’ needs are complex, their environments fast-changing. Mobile technology—and the crowdsourcing and peer networking it makes possible—holds great promise in this field. Let’s use the tools we have to amplify health workers’ voices, make them part of health sector planning processes, and create systematic policies to support them.' 2. Ramp up domestic investments in health care... Let’s encourage national governments to increase domestic investment in human resources for health and to create policies that benefit health workers. 3. Advocate for frontline health workers... We must also promote greater south-to-south collaboration. The world could learn a lot from India, for example, which has developed some very advanced strategies for frontline health workers and, through them, has improved health in some of its most impoverished regions. 4. Set our sights on universal health coverage... 5. Embrace a systems-thinking approach... We must set indicators to measure our progress in strengthening health systems the way we did for measuring progress in maternal health and reducing child mortality in 2000...'

Mobile technology will nurse the NHS back to health

A smart nurse call system that can send patient alerts or lab results directly to the phone or tablet of the closest, most appropriately qualified member of staff. Photograph: Alamy

Overhauls, strategic changes, new objectives: the NHS is no stranger to grand claims and plans about the future of healthcare. However, all too often these plans are political footballs, doing little to improve day-to-day patient care or the working lives of frontline healthcare professionals.
We all know that in the face of budget cuts and rising admissions, NHS professionals at every level are under pressure to do more with less. While change in the NHS is no easy task, investment targeted in the right areas provides huge opportunities to increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve patient care. One recent initiative, the NHS Nursing Technology Fund, has provided some hope for those at the frontline of health services.

A recent freedom of information request submitted to NHS trusts across England highlighted that, despite the pledge to create a "paperless NHS" by 2018, two-thirds of nurses and medical staff continue to rely on handwritten notes and corridor conversations to communicate vital patient information. Another survey of NHS staff recently found that, although 37% of those surveyed did not have access to a Wi-Fi network installed at work, 66% felt that this would improve their ability to provide good quality care.

This system of pagers, fixed terminals and handwritten notes draws nurses away from patients. But sophisticated mobile communication technology could turn the situation around, allowing nurses to effectively be at their patients' bedsides whenever required. Technology can identify new ways to reduce administration and speed up decision-making, knowledge transfer, delegation and equipment finding. The right tech means nurses can spend more time with patients, imporving the quality of care they can provide.

The key is to take advantage of opportunities such as the Nursing Technology Fund to adopt technology that makes it easier to communicate and share information on the move. Nursing is clearly not a sedentary role. If nurses are equipped with devices and tools that allow them to quickly input data, contact colleagues or respond to patients, they'll be free to focus their attention where and when it is needed most.

Consider three simple capabilities that could run on a mobile device and improve the lives of clinical staff and patients alike:
• A smart nurse call system that can send patient alerts or lab results directly to the phone of the closest, most appropriately qualified member of staff. This means that nurses can respond to patients' needs immediately without necessarily having to walk back to their room. The result? Peace of mind and a comprehensive view of activity on the ward.
• Barcode scanning would help ensure the right medicine is being given to the right patient or that the right person has turned up for surgery accompanied by the right paperwork. By using a device equipped with a scanner nurses can be rapidly assured that no errors have been made.
• Geo-location of vital equipment could save hours of wasted time searching the hospital and ensure essential pieces of kit are well distributed across wards. Wheelchairs, medical devices, even beds can be easily fitted with RFID tags and then identified with a mobile device, allowing nurses to find what they need quickly and easily.
• Static technology, no matter where it is located, will create delays. Short periods of time spent walking to an information source add up if repeated over the course of a long shift.

However, when we talk mobile devices we don't mean consumer-grade smartphones and tablets. A day in a ward or in A&E will quickly demonstrate that these flashy bits of equipment aren't cut out for serious work.

In a demanding hospital environment, smartphones will be prone to breakages, water damage from chemical cleansers, drained batteries and network blackspots – leading to inconvenience, expensive repairs and an extremely high cost of ownership. More seriously, we saw recently that smartphones pose a hygiene risk, potentially spreading viruses like MRSA.

The NHS needs to invest in purpose-built, smart mobile communication devices if it is to improve patient experiences, nurse satisfaction and hospital efficiency. And with £70m of the Nursing Technology Fund still to be distributed, the means are finally available to make a difference.

Edo State Nursing Students Protest

 

Students of the Edo State School of Nursing yesterday chased out their teacher and other workers to protest the appointmentof a new principal.

 

The students locked the gate and stopped people from coming in.Lectures were paralysed as the placard -carrying students vowed to continue the protest, until their demands are met. 

 

It was learnt that the new principal was to take over yesterday but the handing over was disrupted by the from Osagle Otabor, Benin students' protest

 

President of the Student Union Government Anyanbu Johnson said: "The principal will retire today and the government appointed Mrs. Osazuwa, who is the Principal of School of Midwifery as our principal

" The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria stipulates that the principal of a nursing school must be a nursing tutor and not a midwifery tutor.

 

"We are saying no to the appointment of a midwife. She was the principal of school of midwifery and the school has not been accredited in the past three years.There are only two students in that school."Our school was also not accredited. We want to speak with the government on this matter.

 

"We have qualified lecturers in our school that the Government should appoint and not from midwifery that is a specialty under nursing." 

 

Another student, Osadolor Marris, Said they wanted the government to reverse its decision and work towards the school's accrediation.

 

"We do not have tutors. The nursing council said our hostel must be ready before our schoold would be accredited," she said

 

Commissioner for Health Aihanuwa Heregie could not be reached for comments

Sources said Mrs. Osazuwa was appointed in an acting capacity, pending when a substantive principal would be named

LAUTECH PART-TIME BNSC APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR 2013/2014 ACADEMIC SESSION

1. Click on this link to apply with your names,phone no and email address http://www.admissions.lautech.edu.ng/ptapp2013/createuser.php

2. Enter your email address in the box to retrieve your passcode http://www.admissions.lautech.edu.ng/ptapp2013/retrieve.php

3. Enter your email and the passcode to proceed with the payment http://www.admissions.lautech.edu.ng/ptapp2013/payapp.php

 4. Enter your email address and passcode to get your.application FORM NUMBER http://www.admissions.lautech.edu.ng/ptapp2013/getformno.php

 5. Enter your APPLICATION FORM NUMBER and passcode to access the application form,fill and submit online.http://www.admissions.lautech.edu.ng/ptapp2013/login.php

 6. Print the acknowledgement and the referee page.

 NOTE: *The entrance exam is likely to be May 5 while resumption is likely to be in June.
*You make the payment using your ATM card no-the 16 digit no ,card expiry date,cvv2- the LAST three digit at the BACK of your card-the signature panel and your ATM PIN CODE.
 *Ensure that you have at least #10,300 ( which is the total payable application fee ) in the bank account linked to the ATM card.
 *Your passport size must not exceed 20kb and must be coloured on white background showing your face ears.
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COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE STAKEHOLDERS MEETING ON PUBLIC AWARENESS AND CAMPAIGN AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA

COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED AT THE END OF THE STAKEHOLDERS MEETING ON PUBLIC AWARENESS AND CAMPAIGN AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA HELD AT THE HONOURABLE MINISTER’S CONFERENCE ROOM 6^TH FLOOR FEDERAL MINISTRY OF HEALTH, ABUJA ON 1^ST APRIL, 2014

Preamble:

The 4^th Annual Scientific Conference of National Association of Nigerian Nurses in North America (NANNNA) held in Houston Texas on 7^th – 10^th November, 2013 was attended by the Permanent Secretary (PSH), Director Nursing Services and Staff of the Diaspora Unit of the Ministry. One of the recommendations at the end of the conference was ‘to create awareness and campaign against domestic violence in Nigeria’. The PSH therefore directed that strategies to execute the recommendation should be developed by the Nursing Division in collaboration with NANNNA. The purpose of the one-day stakeholders’ meeting was to have diverse perspectives on domestic violence and to collaboratively develop the plan of action on creating public awareness on and effectively campaigning against domestic violence in Nigeria.

The stakeholders’ meeting was well attended; participants came from: NANNNA, Legal Aids Council, National Human Rights Commission, Abuja Muslim Forum, National Association of Nigerian Nurses & Midwives (NANNM), Nursing & Midwifery Council of Nigeria (N&MCN), International Federation of Female lawyers (FIDA), National Orientation Agency (NOA), Daughters of Abraham Foundation (DOAF), Nigerian Police, Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), the PPP/Diaspora Unit and the Departments of Public Health, Family Health & Hospital Services in the Federal Ministry of Health.

Observations:

Various perspectives on domestic violence were presented by individuals and representatives of the different agencies from which the following were deduced:

                 i.          Domestic violence is a global phenomenon with far reaching effects on the health and socio-economic wellbeing of the afflicted and the affected; the victim could be male or female

               ii.          Statistics indicate that domestic violence is on the increase globally with increasing fatal consequences

             iii.          Domestic violence is a recurring problem among Nigerian couples in the Diaspora and the cause is traceable to socio-cultural issues

             iv.          Family and religious institutions are not supportive because they lack the basic knowledge, skills and resources to provide support and domestic violence cases are usually mistaken for marital conflicts 

               v.          Education on human rights and responsibilities of victims, neighbours and relevant stakeholders is  currently poor yet education is fundamental to prohibition of violence against persons

             vi.          There are some existing social, legal and government structures that can be strengthened activities against domestic violence e.g. National Orientation Agency, National Human Rights Commission, social welfare services, etc

           vii.          The role of health, social, educational and law enforcement agencies is critical hence the need for capacity building to provide relevant services and serve as trainers

         viii.          There is inadequate database on domestic violence in Nigeria hence the need for research and improved reporting system

             ix.          There is a Bill towards prohibition of violence against persons before the National Assembly

               x.          The high level of participation and commitment exhibited by the stakeholders is a demonstration of appreciation of the magnitude of the problem of domestic violence and the fact that the time for intervention is NOW

 

Resolutions:

Based on i – x above, participants at the meeting arrived at the following resolutions towards creating awareness on and campaigning against domestic violence

1. Nursing Division should prepare the report of this meeting and forward it promptly to the HMH for due consideration and approval
2. The plan of action indicating the activities and roles of the stakeholders developed at the meeting should guide interventions
3. The Federal Ministry of Health should coordinate activities by the stakeholder agencies
4. A committee domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Health to facilitate the activities should be inaugurated
5. Copies of the communiqué should be forwarded to all participating individuals / agencies and other identified stakeholders who were not at the maiden meeting to help provide feedback and initiate appropriate actions
6. Appropriate advocacy kits should be developed preparatory to proposed advocacy visits to Mr. President, members of the National Assembly, State Governors, etc. The kits should be modest and not boring, indicating the antecedents, the vision, strategic plan, conclusion and what expected from the person visited
7. NANNNA should include domestic violence prohibition activities in its Healthfare scheduled for December 2014 and July / August 2015
8. The Federal Ministries of Education, Women Affairs and Information, National Council of Women Societies (NCWS), NAPTIP and similar stakeholders should be involved in the campaign

ACTION PLAN FOR AWARENESS CREATION & CAMPAIGN AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

SN	ACTIVITIES	RESPONSIBLE AGENCY / PERSON	TIME FRAME	OUTPUT / INDICATORS	FUNDING
1	Development of IEC materials including jingles in as many local languages as possible; billboards; etc	FMOH-Health Promotion Unit; NOA; NHRC; FMWAffairs	Start now and conclude by 3rd quarter	% level of awareness among Nigerians Reduction in number of DV cases	Relevant MDAs International and Local development partners and NGOs                                                       Relevant MDAs International and Local development partners and NGOs
2.	Public enlightenment and education through workshops, seminars, lectures, dialogues, FGDs with focal groups – CBOs, traditional rulers, religious organizations, family units, health workers, etc	All relevant stakeholders – NOA; Nollywood; NHRC; NANNNA; Ministry of Women Affairs; NCWS; FIDA; NSCIA & CAN; NHRC	Start now	Number of workshops etc organized for various groups   Improved reporting of DV by victims and/or others   Reduction in cases of DV from 30 to 15% by March 2015
3.	Inclusion of Domestic Violence prevention issues in schools’ curricula at all levels of education	FMoE; N&MCN; NUC; NCCE; NBTE; MDCN; NHRC	Start the process now	Availability of DV content in curricula at levels by 2015
4.	Counselling of offenders / victims of DV and their children	Police; Faith-based organizations; Ministry of Women Affairs; NCWS; Nurses; FIDA; NHRC	On-going	% increased KAP on DV
5.	Reorientation of Nollywood against violent films etc	National Films Censor Board; NHRC	Now	Reduction in number of violent films produced by 2015   Increase in number of films to support prohibition of DV
6.	Capacity building through training and provision of support structures such as shelters; counselling centres; legal aid for the indigents; work-life balance skills development / support; etc	Daughters of Abraham; FOMWAN; FMOH; NOA; NHRC	As soon as possible	Number of people trained   Number of school clubs established   Human rights / counselling desks established in hospitals   Number of TOTs Number of Shelters provided
7.	Lobby the Judicial Commission and Chief Justices of States on speedy disposal of cases on DV and tagging of offenders in database	NANNNA; FMOH; NOA;FIDA; NHRC	Now	% of cases disposed within 3 months
8.	Lobby NASS on speedy passage of the Bill on Prohibition of Violence Against Persons	NANNNA; FMOH; NOA;FIDA; NHRC; NCWS; Ministry of Justice; NGOs	August 2014	Bill passed
9.	Research on DV in Nigeria	FMOH; N&MCN; NANNM; NANNNA; FMOE; NHRC	As soon as possible	2 Nationwide studies by 2015
10.	Increase penalty for offenders and send for mental assessment	Judicial Commission; Ministry of Justice; NASS; NMDC & NMA	As soon as possible	% of offenders charged by 2015
11.	Celebrate International day Against DV with greater coverage & impact	All stakeholders – FMSD	Annually from 2014	Celebration at grassroots
12.	Inclusion of DV prevention activities in annual budget and action plans of stakeholders	All relevant MDAs and stakeholders	Annually from 2015	DV prevention activities captured in 2015 budget of relevant MDAs