Health
Foundation Moves To Give Cancer Sufferers Succour In Rivers
Jolted by the scourge of the deadly disease called cancer, the one and only “political bull-dozer” of Rivers State, Oha Sergent Awuse ventured into a not- so -familiar career of running a foundation for the care and treatment of cancer in all its complexities in Rivers State. Seizing the opportunity of the 4th February as the “World’s Cancer Day”, Awuse launched the first of the series of activities of his foundation aptly called Sergent Awuse Cancer Awareness Foundation (SACAF).
The venue of the programme was jam-packed with survivors, sufferers and care-givers-all mingled among themselves so eager to know more on this dreaded disease.
The event was started with enthusiastic participants being screened to decipher their status. Males were screened for’ prostate cancer and the females for cervical cancer-all free of charge. Survivors of cancer scourge were made to relieve their experiences. This is aimed at encouraging sufferers to open up and get the needed attention for the cure of the disease. In this clime, it has been painfully observed that most deaths caused by cancer come as a result of people feeling ashamed to talk publicly about the disease even to their family members and so are driven into their early graves.
Mrs. Ann Dimpka, a survivor for ten years narrated her ordeal in her fight against cancer. She cautioned that human beings should not live in fear but to hope on God. This has propelled her determination to fight the disease head-on and she won the battle eventually. According to her, “cancer is just a word”. We must fight it in our society,” she concluded.
The high point of the occasion came when the founder, Oha Awuse with unambiguous clarity gave a heart-renching account of his odyssey into the hospitals of Europe for the treatment of his ailment.
His critics spared him on time as they castigated him for announcing that he is a survivor of cancer. True to his type he defiantly told them he is ready to shout to the roof tops by exposing his experience of surviving from this debilitating disease and to thank God Almighty for saving his life. According to him, people must know and learn from others’ experience.
“We should stop being ashamed of telling people our troubles, especially when it concerns that scourge called cancer,” he advised. Dr. Jack Imodu, an oncologist and a urologist went the whole hug of educating the participants of the causes, types and the treatment of cancer. He, however, warned that lack of knowledge of the disease is the main cause of the deaths in the country.
He advised that early detection is a route to its cure. Oha who had been in the trenches of high polititics had denounced continuing in that game but to give back a worthy project to the society that had made him. Eager to keep his essence in the society he founded the Cancer Awareness Foundation with hospitals and offices that will boast of cutting edge equipments in Rivers State. A sage once said “have a vision and a plan, then people will follow you”. Indeed Sergeant Awuse has a vision and has articulated a plan. Little wonder numerous people had signed on to follow him and give support to this noble venture.
Martin Luther King Junior in one of his speeches asked, “what are you doing for others”? Surely, Oha is answering the question. He is doing a novel thing for Rivers people, Nigerians and even people outside this country. It is envisaged that this foundation will attract medical tourism into Rivers State. It is indeed an uncommon courage to set up such a foundation in this part of the country. Awuse, however, had called on government to embark on training more doctors and nurses for the treatment of all the various types of cancer.
He promises that his foundation will be sustained and is sure funds will be sourced for its sustenance. He advised Rivers indigenes to avail themselves for regular checks to avert the serious consequences of cancer scourge.
The founder announced that in order to decongest the urban centres, his foundation will be sited at Emohua Local Government Area. For this gesture Sergeant Awuse will surely be remembered as one of the pantheons of great champions for cancer care in Nigeria. Undoubtedly, this contribution to humanity will forever be etched in the minds of Rivers people and in the annals of Rivers State.
The theme of this year’s Cancer Day is “I am and I will”. Let’s join hands and say “No to CANCER and give Oha our support.
Thom-Manuel, a social critic, lives in Port Harcourt.
Nimi Thom-Manuel
Health
Taraba Confirms Lassa Fever Outbreak
The authorities in Taraba State Ministry of Health yesterday confirmed the outbreak of Lassa Fever in the State.
Making the confirmation in an interview, State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Gbangsheya Buma disclosed that out of the nine suspected cases that were recorded last Friday, eight turned out positive for the viral haemorrhagic fever.
Buma stated that the state Ministry of Health is closely monitoring the situation in collaboration with the Nigeria Center for Disease Control, NCDC, and the Federal Medical Center, Jalingo, FMC, authorities to contain the spread of the disease.
“It is not a surprising thing, this is the season, and we have made preparations, though the outbreak may be overwhelming.
“I just received support from NCDC; they have sent some people here to provide technical support with the aim of stopping the progress of the disease.
“We are actually on top of it. We have provided support as a state to the FMC to provide free treatment to patients of Lassa fever,” he said.
Acting Head of Clinical Services at FMC Jalingo, Joseph Kuni, provided further insight on the outbreak, revealing that the center currently has ten patients in its isolation ward, with some awaiting test results.
Kuni said, “From January to February, the center had recorded 19 deaths from the isolation center.
“From January to February, we sent 105 samples, and 60 of them came out positive for Lassa Fever while 39 came out negative. The remaining ones are still being awaited.”
He explained that due to a fire outbreak that affected the modular laboratory last year, the center cannot perform tests locally, so they send samples to Bauchi or Abuja for testing.
Additionally, Kuni confirmed that one medical doctor from the hospital was affected but has since been treated and discharged.
Kuni emphasised the need for more assistance considering the alarming number of cases, particularly from the central part of the state.
Warning that Lassa Fever is endemic in Nigeria, Kuni said with sporadic outbreaks occurring primarily during the dry season, and it is transmitted to humans through contact with contaminated food or household items.
Health
Experts Warn On Excess Consumption Of Sweetened Beverages
Drinking two litres or more per week of artificially sweetened beverages — the equivalent of a medium-sized fast-food diet soda a day — raises the risk of an irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation by 20 percent when compared to people who drank none, a new study found.
Known as A-fib, atrial fibrillation is an irregular heartbeat often described by many people who have it as a “quiver,” “flutter” or “flip-flop” of the heart in the chest.
Drinking a similar number of added-sugar beverages raised the risk of the condition by 10 percent, while drinking about four ounces of pure, unsweetened juices, such as orange or vegetable juice, was associated with an 8 percent lower risk of atrial fibrillation, the study found.
“This is the first study to report an association between no- and low-calorie sweeteners and also sugar-sweetened beverages and increased risk of atrial fibrillation,” said Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor emeritus of nutritional sciences at the Pennsylvania State University, in a statement. She was not involved in the new study.
While the study could only show an association between sweetened drinks and A-fib, the relationship remained after accounting for any genetic susceptibility to the condition. A 2017 study found people with European ancestry had about a 22 percent risk of inheriting the condition.
This heart condition may affect one in four women after menopause, the study further reveals”We still need more research on these beverages to confirm these findings and to fully understand all the health consequences on heart disease and other health conditions,” Kris-Etherton said.
“In the meantime, water is the best choice, and, based on this study, no- and low-calorie sweetened beverages should be limited or avoided,” she added.
Atrial fibrillation is dangerous and on the rise and is the leading cause of stroke in the United States. In addition, strokes connected to A-fib tend to be “more severe than strokes with other underlying causes,” according to the united states centre for Disease Control and Prevention.
Atrial fibrillation can also lead to blood clots, heart failure and “can increase the risk for heart attack, for dementia, for kidney disease. All of those things are likely long term risks,” Dr. Gregory Marcus, Professor of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and associate chief of cardiology for research at UCSF Health, told The Tide’s in an interview.
Health
Ogun Seals College’s Nursing Department Over Illegal Operations
The Nursing Department of the Harvarde College of Science Business and Management Studies in Abeokuta has been shut.
The department was sealed yesterday for operating without accreditation from the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria (NMCN).
The enforcement team comprised officials of enforcement team of the Ogun Ministry of Health and members of the State Nursing and Midwifery Committee (SNMC).
Speaking during the enforcement exercise, the Permanent Secretary, Ogun Ministry of Health, Dr Kayode Oladehinde, said that the private institution had been offering a degree programme in Nursing Sciences.
He added that this had been going on for about six years without accreditation from the regulatory body.
Oladehinde, represented by the Acting Director of Nursing Services, Mrs Serifat Aminu, said that such unauthorised programme contributed to quackery in nursing and posed a threat to public health.
According to him, the nursing department of the institution will remain sealed until fully accredited.
He described a degree in Nursing obtained from Harvarde College and similar institutions without NMCN accreditation as worthless, stating that graduates would be unable to obtain a valid license to practice in Nigeria and other parts of the world.
“We have discovered that many institutions, including Harvarde College, offer nursing degrees to unsuspecting students.
“Our mission is to clamp down on such institutions because they end up producing quacks in the nursing profession.
“This is dangerous for society. Unfortunately, most students are unaware that their time is being wasted,” he said.
The permanent secretary advised parents and candidates desiring to pursue nursing or related programmes to conduct due diligence by checking the NMCN website for a list of accredited institutions, saying the regulatory body updated the list yearly.
He warned parents to be cautious of institutions making false claims, assuring that the Ogun government would continue to work diligently against quackery in both the education and practice of the nursing profession in the state.
Responding, a 300-level student, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed shock at the institution’s lack of accreditation, regretting the amount of money her parents had spent on the
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