The National Health Insurance Authority has called on healthcare providers to provide quality services to enrollees and ensure that they have access to good healthcare services.
The insurance authority also urged the healthcare providers to follow the guidelines on referral protocols at different levels of care.
Speaking at a sensitisation programme for newly accredited healthcare facilities, the General Manager/Zonal Coordinator, NHIA, Femi Akingbade, said there was a need for the sensitisation exercise, adding that it is to ensure healthcare providers follow the standard protocols and guidelines on offering better services to the enrollees.
“We need to ensure that healthcare facilities give optimum satisfaction to our enrollees.
“We are bothered about quality and we need to teach them what we expect from them as healthcare facilities and to guide them on protocols and guidelines for offering quality services to our people,” Akingbade said.
Adding, the Deputy General Manager/State Coordinator, Catherine Tanzamado, NHIA, said, “we are particular about giving standard services to our enrollees. We are very critical stakeholders.
“If the healthcare providers get it right, then we will get it right. This is the time for us to get it right and let them know what is expected of them, listen to their challenges, and chart a path forward.”
Akingbade also noted that the new insurance law gives a lot of standing out to the healthcare facilities.
The newly elected President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Dr. Uche Ojinmah, says members of the association will kick against any political party or presidential flag-bearer in the forthcoming 2023 presidential election that is not ready to allocate 15 per cent of the national budget to the health sector.
Dr. Ojinmah said the presidential flag-bearers must be ready to increase the budgetary allocation to health by implementing the 2001 Abuja Declaration, insisting that anything short of 15 per cent budgetary allocation to health is unacceptable.
Dr. Uche Ojinmah
He noted that the association is waiting for a detailed and progressive health sector agenda in the manifesto of the presidential flag-bearers.
On April 25, 2001 heads of state and governments of African countries met in Abuja, the Nigeria capital, and agreed to increase health spending to 15 per cent of their national budgets. This historic declaration by the African leaders became known as the Abuja declaration.
Nigeria has, however, failed in its Abuja Declaration commitment and has for years failed to ensure that 15 per cent of its annual budgetary allocation goes to the health sector, according to the NMA.
The NMA president who is a consultant dermatologist at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Enugu, stressed that poor budgetary allocation to health was no longer acceptable, lamenting that since 2001 when the declaration was made, Nigeria has not gone beyond six pe rcent in its national health budget.
Dr. Ojinmah said, “The Nigerian Medical Association is waiting for the manifesto of every presidential flag-bearer of the political parties for the 2023 polls to see what they have for the health sector.
“But we shall kick against any party or candidate that does not have a progressive manifesto for the health sector. They must improve budgetary allocation to the health sector.
“We want a detailed health sector agenda in their manifesto. We expect the candidates to tell us that they must improve the budgetary allocation to the health sector.
“Anything below the Abuja declaration of 15 per cent is not acceptable to us. The whole African heads of state gathered in Nigeria in 2001 and agreed that they will allocate 15 per cent of their annual budget to the health sector. And till today, Nigeria has not gone beyond six per cent. This is not acceptable.”
The NMA boss also said the presidential flag-bearers must also show in their manifesto how to tackle the brain drain in the sector and improve the remuneration of health workers.
“So, we want the candidates to know that they must get ready to give us programmes that would help reverse brain drain.
“They must improve the remuneration of all healthcare workers and not just for doctors because the brain drain is not only with doctors.
“The nurses are also affected. They are leaving in droves. The few of us that are left here are suffering.
“Doctor to patient ratio in Nigeria is also one to 6,000 while the World Health Organisation recommendation is one to 600. You can see the margin.
“We want those that will improve the working condition of health workers and make facilities and equipment available for them to work with,” Dr. Ojinmah said.
Recall that the NMA in April revealed that the country has a deficit of 315,426 medical doctors to cater to the health needs of its 215, 266, 984 population.
Using the latest United Nations population data for Nigeria, which is pegged at 215,063,351, the NMA revealed that there are 43,013 doctors available to attend to all Nigerians, leaving a huge deficit of 315,426 medical doctors.
The NMA attributed the deficit to a massive brain drain, adding that between 2016 to 2018, not less than 9,000 doctors left Nigeria for better work environments, safety, and security in three countries – the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States of America.
The National Leader of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, on Wednesday emerged as the winner of the party’s presidential primary while Atiku Abubakar had earlier emerged as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party flag bearer.
A former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, emerged as the presidential candidate of the New Nigerian Peoples Party while Peter Obi emerged Labour Party presidential flag-bearer.
The parties’ flag-bearers will slug it out in the February 25 presidential election in Nigeria.
The Police Training School (PTS) Ikeja, on Monday graduated six PhD holders and 169 others, from different professions, into several ranks of the Nigerian Police Force as supernumeraries (Spies).
Deputy Commissioner of Police and Commandant, PTS Ikeja, Musa Garba, said at the 2022 graduation for the spy police officers, that 175 supernumeraries were promoted into various ranks, having completed their advanced course.
The supernumeraries were promoted to the ranks of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), Superintendent of Police (SP), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and Inspectors.
The six PhD holders promoted into the cadre of CSP are Dr Peter Akhideno, Dr Elvis Otobo, Dr Kehinde Oduns, Dr Glory Raphael, Dr Goodluck Enimakpokpo and Dr Adaramewa Olusuyi.
Garba said that the promotion of the officers was based on merit as the supernumeraries had been equipped with training that would assist them to perform their duties diligently.
He noted that the new rank attained by the officers came with greater responsibilities to themselves; to their organisations; to their communities; to the police force and to the society at large.
“Your actions and utterances henceforth, must be well-guided by the Police Force Act, as you must exhibit high moral standards and ethical discipline that you have received during your trainings here,’’ he admonished.
According to him, any of the supernumeraries who involves himself or herself in any criminal activity will face disciplinary actions in line with the Police Act.
Garba charged the graduating supernumeraries to report to police stations nearest to them to familiarise themselves with the officers in charge there.
He explained that this would help them to build an understanding between themselves, other spies and regular police officers.
The DCP appreciated the Inspector-General Police for his support to the PTS, which has culminated in the growth and development of the school.
“I thank you all for sparing your time to learn about the operation of the police with an intention of assisting in the discharge of their duties,’’ he said.
The PTS Headmaster, SP Kabiru Momoh, said the only difference between regular police officers and the supernumeraries was that the latter were not allowed to bear arms.
Momoh said the spies were usually enrolled in the PTS by organisations or agencies to be trained as professional officers of the Nigeria Police Force and used when there is shortage of regular police officers’ manpower.
“Many of them work in government agencies, multinationals, and organisations as escorts, internal security officers, intelligence officers, and financial officers, to detect fraud, corruption, threats and irregularities in their financial or daily operations’’ he said.
Responding on behalf of other graduating officers, Samuel Ajiboyede, appreciated the PTS commandant for his humility, style of leadership and commitment to the ideals of the school.
Ajiboyede promised on behalf of his colleagues, that the graduating spies would be good ambassadors of the PTS and would continue to support the police in various capacities to effectively discharge their duties.
Nigeria’s Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo says Africa’s developmental aspirations can be actualized by deepening cooperation and collaboration with the rest of the world.
A release signed by the vice president’s spokesman, Laolu Akande said Prof. Osinbajo stated this on Monday while speaking at the opening panel of the ongoing Africa CEO Forum holding in the Ivorian city of Abidjan.
The panel was themed- “Economic Sovereignty: From Ambition to Action.”
Prof. Osinbajo said that the imperative of Africa’s economic sovereignty also exists as there are areas where public and private sector leaders must continue to strive for it.
Akande said the vice president emphasized the need for collaboration between Africa and the rest of the world
The Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB) has commenced the conduct of personnel audit exercises in all nursery, primary, and junior secondary schools for both public and private schools in the state.
The exercise is in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Federal Ministry of Education, Nation Commission for Nomadic Education (NCNE), National Bureau for Statistics (NBS), National Population Commission (NPC), State Ministry of Education, Civil Society Organisation (CSO) and Association of Private School Proprietors (APSP) is expected to last till Saturday, June 25, 2022.
According to Wahab Alawiye – King, the executive chairman of LASUBEB the exercise is not for tax, billing, and/or an attempt to sanction schools, but purely for personnel auditing.
Alawiye-King disclosed further that the national personnel audit exercise is aimed at obtaining comprehensive and reliable data on pupils in basic education in order to reduce the number of out–of–school children; determine the number of schools locally and nationally; and establish a basic education data bank.
Many Nigerians are divided over the Academic Staff Union of Universities‘ (ASUU) rejection of the N50 million intervention funds to end the ongoing strike.
ASUU on Saturday, June 11 rejected an initiative by Berekete Family radio for crowdfunding and the sum of N50million cash donated by Udom Emmanuel, the executive governor of Akwa Ibom State to call off the industrial action.
Franklin Anya, a parent and social critic believes that ASUU was right for rejecting the supposed intervention fund because it does not represent what the union stands for.
A professor of Preventive Cardiovascular Medicine, with the Imperial College London, Neil Poulter, has recommended combination therapy for the management of hypertension.
According to Poulter, Combination therapy is a treatment intervention in which more than one drug is administered to the patient. It involves administering several separate pills, each containing a particular drug or single pills that contain several drugs.
Poulter, who is the immediate past president, International Society of Hypertension, made the call in Lagos while speaking at a symposium titled, Latest Development in Hypertension: A Nigerian Perspective.
The symposium organised by Servier, an international pharmaceutical company, was held at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja.
Poulter said new research had confirmed that combination therapy was more effective in the management of hypertension than monotherapy, which is the treatment of a patient with a single drug.
In his presentation titled, Advances in the Management of Hypertension in African Hypertensive Patients, Poulter said, it was better to start the treatment of hypertension with two drugs, as it guarantees better outcomes compared to when single drugs are used.
He told medical experts that instead of moving a patient from Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors to Angiotensin II Receptor Blockers due to the side effect of dry cough, the side effect could be treated separately, adding that researchers had found that ACE-i works better than ARBs.
Among those at the symposium were Director, Lagos State Medical Administration and Training, Dr. Funmilayo Shokunbi, Chief Medical Director, LASUTH, Prof Adetokunbo Fabamwo, Prof Adebowale Adekoya, Provost, College of Medicine, Dr. Mobolaji Oludara, and Group Manager, Servier Nigeria, Mr. Mohamad Tamim.
Speaking at the event, the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof Akin Abayomi, who was represented by the CMD of LASUTH, Fabamwo, said the state was committed to reducing the burden of hypertension through regular mass screening at the local governments.
Abayomi added that, the state also recently established a special stroke unit, acquired a state of the art cardiac catheterisation lab and also purchased an ultra modern dialysis unit for LASUTH.
A consultant physician with LASUTH, Dr. Sunday Ogundele, stated that men had a higher risk of suffering hypertension than women.
The management of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, in Oyo State, has instructed students of the institution to immediately proceed on vacation, adding that the 2020/2021 academic session has been concluded.
The institution’s Registrar, Modupe Fawale, made this known in a statement in Ibadan on Monday.
According to Fawale, all students are to proceed immediately for the end-of-session vacation, as the institution formally concludes the 2020/2021 academic session.
Fawale directed all students to vacate their halls of residence on or before 4.00 p.m. on Tuesday, June 14.
She added that municipal facilities to the hostels would be disconnected, effective from the stated date and time.
“Any student found violating this directive will be sanctioned accordingly.
“Parents, guardians, and members of the public, particularly communities in the neighborhood of the polytechnic, such as Apete, Awotan, Idi-ito, Agbaje, Sango, Arola, Ariyiibi, and others, are to note that students are on vacation,” she said.
Fawale said that resumption for the new academic session, 2021/2022, would be formally announced to the public in due course.
The California Lighthouse is a historic lighthouse which is located near Arashi Beach, which is in the northern part of the constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean Sea, Aruba.
Being named after the wooden sailing steamship California which wrecked nearby on 23 September 1891, it was built to warn ships from the coastline of Aruba, which nowadays is simply a very interesting landmark.
Designed by a French architect in 1910, it was built between 1914 and 1916, and in May 2016 it was restored in order to be preserved for future generations.
Being one of the biggest scenic trademarks on the island, the California Lighthouse offers a picture perfect view of the island’s western coastline of sandy beaches, rocky coral shorelines and of the beautifully landscaped golf course Tierra del Sol.
Nevertheless, around the lighthouse is a stoned-filled flat land, in addition to the terrain which looks more like the moon, with sharp rocks sticking out of the ground, making it difficult for people to walk on without sturdy footwear.
Offering quite stupendous vistas of the island and the Caribbean Sea, being able to watch the sunset from the top of the lighthouse is another bonus.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
An amazing historic monument from the tiny island which even though had a great purpose in the past, nowadays is a mere landmark that reminds every visitor that the lighthouses had an important role in sailing the seas.
Costa Venezia cruise ship in Istanbul, on June 06, 2022. Galataport, located at a waterfront Istanbul neighborhood of Karakoy, has positioned itself as a homeport since it opened in 2021 and is set to energise cruise tourism across a vast region from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea at a time when the Turkish economy has gone into a tailspin over weakening lira and soaring inflation.ÊYasin AKGUL / AFP
TEXT WITH GO TO BY FULYA OZERKAN
A state-of-the-art port in Istanbul with an underground terminal, a celebrity chef’s restaurant and a shopping centre, welcomes yet another 5,000-passenger cruise ship, bringing more cash to Turkey’s struggling tourism industry.
Hit hard by Covid, Turkey’s tourism sector could get a shot in the arm from the revenue generated at Galataport, which opened in 2021.
The port could also provide a boost to an economy that has been weighed down by double-digit inflation and a currency in free fall, though the project has drawn criticism over the destruction of historical monuments and the potential environmental impact.
Figen Ayan, chief port officer at Galataport, said “ships began to arrive one after the other” after the facility opened in October.
“Galataport has become the face of tourism,” she said.
The 20-story Costa Venezia vessel from Italy was taking passengers from an 11-day voyage to the Aegean Sea when it docked in Galataport, its gangway connecting directly to the futuristic underground customs terminal.
The port is home to a shopping centre, a hotel, cultural venues and a restaurant owned by Turkish butcher Nusret Gokce, better known as Salt Bae, the social media star who sprinkles salt on steaks in front of celebrity customers.
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