Experts Identify Gastrointestinal Diseases Management Challenges

Some medical practitio
ners in Lagos have listed self medication, late presentation and ignorance as some of the challenges facing the management of gastrointestinal diseases.
The experts gave the advice in seporate interviews in Lagos.
Dr Funmi Duro-Emmanuel, Physician at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, said that gastrointestinal diseases were commonly seen at the hospital, usually at the late stages.
According to her, the diseases are right from the mouth to the anus which involve  the throat, stomach, small and large intestines and anus.
“At each point, these organs present different things ranging from fungal infection in the mouth to peptic ulcer in the stomach and inflammation and bleeding of the intestines.
“We find that a lot of people self medicate, and it is when things have taken too long, not going down well, and late, that is when we find people coming to the hospital,’’ she said.
The physician said that many people were ignorant of which specialist to visit when they had problems ranging from mouth infection to ulcer and inflammation of the intestines.
Duro-Emanuel said: “Ignorance, not only that they deny, but also they listen to a lot of talks involving spirituality, visit the pastors or Imams, talk to neighbours before getting to the doctors.
“Also, they are ignorant of the specific doctor to visit when they have any of the problems of the organs highlighted above.”
Also speaking, another physician at LUTH, Dr Remi Oluyemi, said that ignorance of what was viable options for diagnosis and treatment were some of the challenges.
“Some people do not even know that in some of these diseases, all that is needed is just a blood test or an ultrasound,’’ he said.
Oluyemi said that there was need for more awareness so that people would know where and who to see when they have gastrointestinal problems.
“There is need to create awareness for people to know that they need to present themselves early for screening and treatment.
“It is not until when a tumour has gone beyond surgical care that they come, but it can be detected early and treated,’’ he said.
In his remark, Dr Mobolaji Oludera, a surgeon, urged philanthropists and stakeholders to donate facilities for the diagnosis of these diseases.
Oludera said that facilities for the diagnosis and treatment of the diseases were few to meet the needs of many people seeking treatment.
“Sometimes, the facilities are there, but are grossly underutilised, because many people do not present their ailment early at the hospitals,’’ he said.