In order to have easy access to affordable health care services within and across the country, EVOKE e-HEALTH SOLUTIONS is offering patients and their primary doctors in Nigeria the opportunity to consult with specialists abroad, to discuss their diagnosis and alternative treatment plans for their best interest through the use of technology.

At the prelaunch of EVOKE e-HEALTH SOLUTIONS which was held virtually in Abuja, the Co-founder and Co-CEO Dr. Ifeoma Obanozie-Amadi said, “For many patients, access to high quality medical care can often be complicated by financial, geographical, or situational hurdles, challenges that can dictate when, where and even whether those patients are able to seek physician care. Evoke e-health solutions are designed to overcome those hurdles by providing access to professional healthcare services, regardless of the patient or physician location. We aim to eliminate time and distance factors in healthcare for remote patients by enabling real time examination and treatment through virtual consultation.’’

Dr. Amadi stressed that telemedicine in health care service delivery came to force during the lockdown in both developing and developed countries, as it paved the way for the optimization and use of ICT based options.

Dr. Tony Oketah, Co founder and Co CEO of EVOKE e-HEALTH SOLUTIONS, said that the company makes no profit as it aims at giving back to the society.

“We let the specialists know that this project is more like giving back to the society at this moment. When a patient pays in, it goes straight into their account and the little amount that comes to the company is to upgrade the system, build more innovation and do more research. At the end we are not receiving anything from the consultation except for working and improving the services. That’s why we are going in for EVOKE e-HEALTH FOUNDATION, where we can now source for support from multinational organizations to help us meet the demands of this innovation.’’

The development and implementation of telemedicine and digital health developments has a lot of advantages and brings great value for both practitioners and patients. It has thus helped not only in providing and improving care, but also in curtailing the spread and transmission of infection among health care workers and patients.

The Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), FCT Chapter, has called for organisational support for breastfeeding mothers at work places to enhance effective service delivery.

The Chairperson of NAWOJ FCT, Comrade Annah Daniel, made the call during a courtesy visit to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms Daju Kachallom ( mni) in Abuja in commemoration of the World Breastfeeding Week

Comrade Daniel stressed the need for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) as well as private organisations to provide creche/day care centres within their premises to help nursing mothers breastfeed optimally.

The Chairperson also solicited for partnership of the ministry in empowering women journalists in FCT through skills acquisition and in course training.

“Women and children are the most vulnerable segment of the society, however, when a woman is empowered and comfortable financially, the home front will be doing great, even at work place the result of effective service delivery would be achieved,” she stated.

Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ms Daju Kachallom, who commended the women journalists over their efforts to rise in the profession, urged them to always project the good image of the country rather than bad news.

Ms Kachallom reiterated the commitment of the federal government through its policies and social intervention scheme aimed at alleviating the plight of the citizens especially the vulnerable group in the country.

Anambra State Government in partnership with Malaria Consortium Group has commenced the distribution of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) across all the 21 Local Government Areas in the State.

Civil Society Organizations appealed to citizens to make themselves available in their homes to receive the nets which is freely distributed to every household in the State.

While responding to inquiries at the Palace of His Royal Majesty Igwe Gibson Nwosu in Awka, the Citizens’ advocate said that each household would receive from 2 to 4 nets depending on their family size. He cautioned the people not to use the nets for fishing, grains preservation or other domestic purposes.

During a recent Media engagement, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Afam Obidike, said it was necessary that residents of the state be well informed about the distribution exercise.

“This exercise is in collaboration with the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP), Malaria Consortium and with support from GiveWell Open Philanthropic Funding.

“The Insecticide-Treated Nets will be distributed to every household with the objective of reducing the scourge of malaria in the State,” he said.

The household registration and simultaneous distribution of net will start from August 7 to August 17, from 8:30am to 2pm daily.

According to him, the newly collected nets must be aired under a shade for 24hrs before hanging and sleeping inside, old nets should be replaced with the new ones.

The Commissioner while appealing to the residents in the State to cooperate with those employed for the distribution, urged the Media and relevant stakeholders to help in enlightening the public on the need to sleep inside the nets in order to eliminate malaria in the State.

The Yobe State Executive Council, has approved N4.5 billion for equipping and furnishing the ongoing Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Complex at the state’s Teaching Hospital, Damaturu.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Mohammad Gana, stated this while conducting journalists around the project site in Damaturu.

He said part of the fund would be used for procurement and installation of state-of-the-art laparoscopic machines, basic and advanced diagnostic as well as theatre equipment.

The commissioner said the project’s contract awarded in 2020 at the cost of N1.6 billion had reached 95 percent completion, adding that it would be put to use by December 2022.

According to Gana, the over 250 bed capacity facility has been designed with gynaecological and obstetrics clinics, emergency and admission units, an operating theatre, paediatrics ward as well as labour, delivery, and special baby care units, among others.

The commissioner said when completed, the complex, one of the largest in northern Nigeria, would address current maternal and child negative indices in Yobe and neighbouring states.

On manning the facility, Gana said the state government had continuously employed and absolved many doctors, nurses, midwives, pharmacists and laboratory technicians.

He said that over 400 indigenous medical students had been sponsored by the state at various institutions across the country.

The commissioner said some of the aforementioned personnel and those to graduate from the teaching hospital would be engaged to effectively man the facility.

The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has commissioned the newly rehabilitated and equipped General Hospital, Tede, in the Atisbo Local Government Area of the state.

Governor Makinde, who made a commitment to personally enrol 1,250 residents of the town and its surrounding communities into the Oyo State Health Insurance Scheme (OYSHIA) for the next one year, explained that his administration remained committed to improving the health sector, which according to him, is a major service point agenda of his government.

The governor promised within a short time, to extend the Light up Oyo Project to Tede, in response to the request of the community, stating that he remained committed to providing an all inclusive governance that leaves no town or zone behind.

Makinde noted that in the area of security, his administration has been collaborating with federal security agencies to keep citizens safe and secure and would not relent, adding that on road infrastructure, his administration has also been engineering an infrastructure that connects all zones of the state and targets economic expansion agenda.

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary, Oyo State Health Insurance Agency (OYSHIA),  Dr Sola Akande, explained the work done at the facility to include a general renovation and equipment with a modern theatre, upgraded laboratory, electronic delivery machine, borehole powered water supply system and a 20 KVA diesel generator backed with solar power.

He noted that so far, Governor Makinde had from his personal purse, pledged to enrol 2,750 lives into Oyo the State Health Insurance Scheme, urging local government chairmen and other political office holders to emulate the governor’s good gesture.

Akande disclosed that the General Hospital, Tede, dilapidated for over 15 years and worsened by torrential rainfall over a period of 10 years, had been brought back to life, noting that training and retraining would be continuous in ensuring that the personnel get a hold on the use of the equipment provided for the hospital.

On his part, the Chairman, Atisbo Local Government Area, Fasasi Adeagbo, commended the governor for bringing development to the state by renovating and equipping the hospital despite the economic hardship in the country, saying many people in Oke-Ogun would benefit from the hospital, as they would not have to travel to Ibadan for health care.

The Bauchi State Government says it has concluded arrangements to resuscitate 320 child nutrition centres to encourage breastfeeding and nutritional uptake of children.

The Executive Secretary, Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Agency, Dr. Rilwanu Mohammed, stated this at a news conference in Bauchi as part of activities to mark the 2022 World Breastfeeding Week.

The 2022 Breastfeeding Week has its theme as “Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support had the state agency organise in collaboration with Alive & Thrive Nigeria, a Non-Governmental Organisation.

Mohammed said that the centres called, “Baby Friendly Corners,” across the 20 local government areas of the state would be rebranded with the support of development partners.

The executive secretary said the centres would create awareness on Good Winning Practices and train breastfeeding mothers on nutritional food processing through utilisation of local variety crops.

He said the agency, in collaboration with partners, had identified 25 communities with low infant nutritional uptake in the state.

According to him, the forum provided an opportunity for key actors at different levels in society to interact and share ideas on how to collaborate in bridging the existing gaps on breastfeeding in the communities.

He said the forum would galvanise stakeholders to step up breastfeeding, protect, promote, and support breastfeeding within their respective roles.

“Alive & Thrive is working closely with the Bauchi State Ministry of Health, the Bauchi State Primary Healthcare Development Agency and other partners in accelerating the scale of maternal, infant, and young child nutrition in Bauchi and across Nigeria.

“Optimum nutrition which includes exclusive breastfeeding is an essential action that needs to be taken for infant development and survival,” Mohammed said.

The project focuses on maternal nutrition to save lives, prevent illness, and improve the health and wellbeing of mothers, children and adolescents.