HEALTH: Medical doctor seeks govts’ intervention on free access to diabetes drugs

 

By Stephen Adeleye

A medical practitioner, Dr. Adewole Adesanya, has called on government at all levels to ensure citizens have access to oral drugs and insulin for the treatment of diabetes.

He made the call on Tuesday at a programme organised by the management of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Lokoja, as part of the activities to mark the World Diabetes Day 2021.

Adesanya, who delivered a lecture on ”Prevention, Care and Management of Diabetes”  said over 500 million people worldwide were presently living with diabetes.

Adesanya, who is the Head of Endocrinology Unit in the Department of Internal Medicine of the hospital, said that insulin being the major medication for the disease at the early period was discovered about 100 years ago.

According to him, the World Diabetes Day is an annual ritual of advocacy on diabetes marked on Nov. 14, worldwide.

”It is also a gathering targeted at celebrating ourselves as human beings for good health and provision of opportunity to educate ourselves about challenges of diabetes and how to manage it.

“At the age of 40, every human being is prone to become victims of diabetes.

”It is therefore very important for people within the age of 40 and above to embark on routine check of their blood sugar levels,” he said.

The expert, therefore, appealed to governments and well meaning individuals to support citizens to access insulin and oral drugs without hinderance.

Also speaking, Mrs. Rachel Idakwoji, a Dietician, said the right diet and physical exercise would help people from falling prey of diabetes and other health hazards.

“We are what we eat as mortals and should seriously care much for what we eat and drink to prolong our life span,” she said.

In his remarks, the Medical Director FMC Lokoja, Dr. Olatunde Alabi, said diabetes was never a death sentence, saying ”anybody could be a victim if he or she is not careful with what they eat and drink.”

He urged victims to avail themselves of the opportunity of the advocacy on how to prevent and manage the disease.

NAN reports that the FMC Lokoja conducted free screening of over 100 persons to ascertain their sugar levels.

The theme for this year’s World Diabetes Day is: “Access To Diabetes Care; If Not Now, When?” (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

HEALTH: Medical Director tasks governments on sustained support for hospitals in managing premature infants

 

By Stephen Adeleye

The Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre Lokoja (FMCL), Dr. Olatunde Alabi, has urged governments to invest and sustain support for the activities of various hospitals in the management of premature babies.

Alabi gave the advice on Wednesday at a program organised by the Neonatology Unit, Department of Paediatrics of FMCL, as part of activities to celebrate the ''World Prematurity Day 2021''.

According to him, governments need to support the activities of the various hospitals in making sure that investment on management of premature infants is sustained.

He noted that the unit managing the premature infants at FMCL remained the only standard centre for newborn special care unit in the whole of Kogi State.

He added that the unit had well qualified Consultants and specialised Nurses that effectively managed premature babies including training and retraining of medical officers.

He, however stressed the need for governments to support the activities of various hospitals in making sure that investment on management of premature infants was improved and sustained.

''So, if the government can give us more support, it will go a long way because to keep premature infant alive is very expensive.

''We cannot keep our eyes away from them because these infants are eventually our investment into the future, and we have to take very good care of them,'' Alabi said.

Earlier, Dr Patricia Medupin, a Consultant Paediatrics, and head of newborn special care unit in FMCL, said the theme for the 2021 world premature day, is ''Zero Separation: Act Now''.

Medupin said the unit at FMCL, had been able to effectively and successfuly managed the treatment of premature babies in spite various challenges over the past years.

She explained that the average survival rate in terms premature at FMCL over the last five years was 66.8 per cent, while the average mortality was 24.6 per cent.

She noted that the current national mortality rate was 32 per cent, stressing that FMCL was doing a little better than the national rate despite the challenges.

She emphasised that zero separation was possible if the necessary facilities were put in place.

In their separate comments, Mrs Blessing Balogun and Mrs Margaret Olorunmosunle, who had premature babies, commended the management of FMCL for the care and support being giving to them and their babies. 

The World Prematurity Day is observed on every Nov. 17,  to raise awareness about preterm birth. 

The highlight of the occasion was the cutting of the cake to celebrate premature babies.

End

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