Doctors Sue For Medical Books On Africa Problems

Medical doctors have called for publication of books targeted at specific illnessed perculier to Africa

The call was made by Professor Shima Gyoh, while reviewing the 3rd edition of Davey’s Companion to Surgery in Africa, a new medical textbook in Ibadan, Oyo State, saying that the practice led to many doctors missing out on the tutelage of experienced doctors.

While commending the book, he stated that the dearth of such reference books was inimical to adequate care of patients and training of medical doctors all over Africa.

Professor Gyoh further said textbooks, which are rich in references, are able to fill the gaps left in foreign medical textbooks whose emphasis was on common medical conditions in Europe.

 “It is a painful experience to see students give detailed information on diseases in foreign countries, but blank on killer diseases in Africa, such as tetanus and tuberculosis”, he noted.

The Tide reports that experts, who spoke at the book presentation, described the lack of such reference books as inimical to adequate care of patients and training of medical doctors all over Africa.

They called for the production of medical textbooks in the country, specifically addressing diseases that are peculiar to Africa.

President of the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association (ICOMAA), Dr. Gboyega Ajayi, called on people to actualise their dreams and visions like the writer of the book, Professor W. W.  Davey, who saw the need for a textbook in surgery with information on tropical diseases to complement existing surgery textbooks.

One of the authors of the new edition of Davey’s Companion to Surgery in Africa, Professor Adelola Adeloye, declared that the publication of medical textbooks relevant to tropical surgical diseases was a challenge, saying that many foreign publishers currently focus on other continents.

He stated that given the importance of textbooks in learning, there was the need for more contributors from Nigeria and other parts of Africa in its subsequent editions to keep  the book alive, up to date and relevant in the genre of textbooks produced and published on surgery in Africa.

A co-author of the surgical textbook, Professor Opeoluwa Adekunle, said the book will go a long way to fill the void of knowledge on surgical aspects of HIV in African.

Professor Adekunle, however, urged that the book be made more relevant to surgery by making it have a global outlook rather than narrowing its cope and relevance to Africa.

While commending the book, he stated that the dearth of such reference books was inimical to adequate care of patients and training of medical doctors all over Africa.

Professor Gyoh further said textbooks, which are rich in references, are able to fill the gaps left in foreign medical textbooks whose emphasis was on common medical conditions in Europe.

 “It is a painful experience to see students give detailed information on diseases in foreign countries, but blank on killer diseases in Africa, such as tetanus and tuberculosis”, he noted.

The Tide reports that experts, who spoke at the book presentation, described the lack of such reference books as inimical to adequate care of patients and training of medical doctors all over Africa.

They called for the production of medical textbooks in the country, specifically addressing diseases that are peculiar to Africa.

President of the Ibadan College of Medicine Alumni Association (ICOMAA), Dr. Gboyega Ajayi, called on people to actualise their dreams and visions like the writer of the book, Professor W. W.  Davey, who saw the need for a textbook in surgery with information on tropical diseases to complement existing surgery textbooks.

One of the authors of the new edition of Davey’s Companion to Surgery in Africa, Professor Adelola Adeloye, declared that the publication of medical textbooks relevant to tropical surgical diseases was a challenge, saying that many foreign publishers currently focus on other continents.

He stated that given the importance of textbooks in learning, there was the need for more contributors from Nigeria and other parts of Africa in its subsequent editions to keep  the book alive, up to date and relevant in the genre of textbooks produced and published on surgery in Africa.

A co-author of the surgical textbook, Professor Opeoluwa Adekunle, said the book will go a long way to fill the void of knowledge on surgical aspects of HIV in African.

Professor Adekunle, however, urged that the book be made more relevant to surgery by making it have a global outlook rather than narrowing its cope and relevance to Africa.