Niger Delta

Expert Alerts On TB’s Prevalence In Edo

Published

11 years ago

May 27, 2015

L-R: Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Rivers State, Barr. Chuma Chinye, Bishop Emma Ogu, Perm. Sec. Policy and Strategy, Office of Head of Service, Rivers State, Sir Samuel Egbe, Chairman Editorial Board RSNC, High Chief Clinton Dagogo, during a send-forth party organised by Ministry of Commerce and Industry at Delta Hotel, Port Harcourt, last Monday. Photo: Egberi .A. Sampson

The Edo Tuberculosis (TB)
and Leprosy Control Officer, Dr Osagie Igbinigie, has expressed concern about the high rate of tuberculosis infections in the state.
He expressed the concern in an interview with newsmen in Benin.
He said that there were many cases of the infection in the state and noted that more than 2, 000 cases were registered in the state in 2014.
The control officer said that the figure might be higher because some cases were recorded in private hospitals.
“There are many cases of TB in the state, in 2014, we registered slightly above 2, 000 patients. “We know the cases are more than that because there are cases that are treated by private medical practitioners who do not use drugs supplied by the donor agencies’’, he said.
Igbinosa said that there were 197 centres in the state that offered free TB services to patients under the national TB control programme.
He, however, said that a major challenge affecting the success of the national programme on tuberculosis in the state was the fear of stigmatisation against sufferers.
The control officer said that stigmatisation had prevented sufferers from accessing treatment, and advised against it.
He said: “People are aware of the disease because we carry out campaigns at the state and local government levels.
“One of the challenges we have is fear of stigmatisation, the way people react to someone that has the disease. TB is like any other disease and it can affect anybody.
He said that other challenges affecting the programme in the state included poor accessibility to some rural areas, unfriendly behaviour of some health workers to TB patients and shortage of manpower.
Igbinigie advised patients suffering from the disease to adhere strictly to their medications, noting that improper medications often resulted in drug-resistance.
He said that the commonest symptom of the disease which was transmitted through the air was persistent cough that must have lasted for two or more weeks.
“When people inhale the TB bacteria into their body, they may or may not come down with the disease. “Some factors make it possible for a person to be infected such as weak immune system, amount of bacteria inhaled and length of exposure to the source of bacteria,” he said.
“According to the expert, “people who have diabetes and HIV that are not well managed can easily come down with TB”, adding that, “ there is no vaccine to prevent TB; the BCG that is given to children is to prevent the severe form of the disease occurring in children.
“Adults who took BCG when they were babies can still come down with TB”.

Niger Delta

850-bed UCTH overstretched, services 5m patients – CMD

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Prof. Ikpeme Ikpeme, has said the 850-bed hospital is overstretched, as it currently serves over five million patients.

He disclosed this on Friday during a media tour of the facility to showcase ongoing renovations and facelift in the hospital.

The CMD noted that, aside being the only tertiary healthcare facility servicing the state, UCTH also serviced neighbouring states of Akwa Ibom and Ebonyi.

He said the hospital also received referrals from neighbouring countries, including Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea and Central African Republic.

According to him, the 850-bed hospital faced persistent space constraints because of increasing patients inflow and expanding healthcare demands.

“This hospital currently operates 62 clinical and non-clinical departments as well as between 30 and 38 wards covering medical, surgical, paediatric, orthopaedic and specialised services.

“Most wards have undergone facelift, remodelling, or complete renovation to improve patient care and working conditions for healthcare professionals”, he said.

He disclosed that the hospital was constructing a new 106-bed emergency medicine facility to address the rising demand for healthcare services.

According to him, the facility will include trauma bays, intensive care units, neonatal wards, and three fully equipped trauma theatres.

Speaking on the remodeled wards, Ikpeme explained that they followed modern nursing principles, allowing one nurse to attend to a maximum of 10 patients.

He said relatives would be restricted to designated waiting areas to reduce interference with medical procedures and improve emergency response efficiency.

The CMD noted that the hospital had strengthened specialist services in orthopaedics, neurosurgery, obstetrics, radiology, and minimally invasive surgery.

“UCTH now performs hip and knee replacements, arthroscopy, sports medicine, and complex brain tumour surgeries.

“Our surgeons also conduct keyhole procedures for appendectomy, hysterectomy and other conditions with faster patient recovery periods,” he said

In power, the CMD said the hospital relied on solar power from a seven-megawatt plant, constructed by the Federal Government at the University of Calabar, as well as public power supply, and generators to sustain its operations.

He appealed to governments, organisations, and philanthropists to support infrastructure expansion, equipment procurement, and specialised healthcare projects.

The CMD said the hospital required additional incubators, ward expansions, and a stand-alone amenity facility for private healthcare services.

He used the opportunity to dismiss allegations of ethnic discrimination, insisting that the hospital does not reject workers or patients based on tribe or origin.

According to him, the institution recently honoured an Igbo pioneer physician by naming a ward after him in recognition of decades of service.

The CMD said the hospital maintained strict disciplinary procedures to address negligence, poor attitude, and unethical conduct among staff.

The Tide’s source reports that some of the units visited include, intensive care unit, Department of Radiology, Urology Clinic, and Opthalmology Clinic.

Niger Delta

Police Burst Child Trafficking Syndicate In A’Ibom … Nab 3 Suspects

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Police Command in Akwa Ibom State says it has busted a child trafficking syndicate and arrested three suspects for conspiracy and unlawful sale of a newborn baby in the State.

The State’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Timfom John, who disclosed this in a statement in Uyo on Friday, said the three female suspects were arrested on Wednesday at about 1900hrs.

She said a complainant reported that his wife gave birth to a baby boy on May 7 and shockingly, shortly after delivery sold the newborn child to one of the suspects for N145, 000.

“Upon receipt of the report, operatives immediately swung into action, leading to the arrest of the suspects and the successful recovery of the baby boy.

“The suspects reportedly confessed to the crime during interrogation, while investigation has been expanded to identify and apprehend all individuals connected to the trafficking syndicate”, John said.

She said the State’s Commissioner of Police, Baba Azare, reiterated the Command’s commitment to sustaining aggressive intelligence-led policing in the state.

Niger Delta

A’Ibom Launches Operation Crack Down Scrap Dealers

Published

8 hours ago

May 18, 2026

The Tide

The Akwa-Ibom State Government has launched a statewide crackdown on unregistered scrap dealers and scavengers, shutting down illegal operations and arresting operators accused of violating environmental and public safety regulations.

The enforcement operation, led by the Akwa Ibom State Environmental Protection and Waste Management Agency (AKSEPWMA), followed the implementation of the state’s Waste Metal Scrap Law 2026, officials said.

AKSEPWMA Chairman, Obong Prince Ikim, said the exercise was aimed at regulating the scrap sector, protect the environment, and prevent criminal groups from operating under the guise of waste collection and metal trading.

“If you want to do scrap business, you must register,” Mr. Ikim said during the operation in Uyo, the state capital.

“Many people now hide under scrap trading to perpetrate nefarious activities”, he said.

According to him, dump site operators and scrap dealers who failed to register with the government risked closure and prosecution.

Authorities accused some operators of involvement in vandalism of public infrastructure and indiscriminate waste disposal, adding that investigations had uncovered criminal activities linked to several dump sites across the state.

“Some people vandalise government facilities in the name of scrap business and encourage indiscriminate dumping of refuse,” Mr. Ikim said.

He added that the state government and security agencies would continue efforts to enforce compliance and maintain public order.

“The Commissioner of Police has zero tolerance for criminality, and the Governor wants Akwa Ibom people to sleep with their eyes closed. We will fish out every defaulter”, he said.

Police officials involved in the operation said investigations showed that some criminal suspects used scrap yards and refuse dump sites as cover for illegal activities.

CSP Okwuzulike Vincent of the Itam Police Station said some suspects pretended to be mentally unstable while hiding ammunition and other suspicious items in makeshift shelters around dump locations.

The police officer praised the environmental agency for what he described as proactive efforts to sanitise the sector and pledged continued cooperation between law enforcement and the agency.

Officials said some first-time offenders arrested during the operation were released after profiling and signing undertakings, while repeat offenders would face prosecution.