Ministry of Health
Lagos assembly to establish organ transplant dept
The Lagos State House of Assembly has organised a public hearing on a bill to establish an organ harvest transplantation department in the state Ministry of Health. The Chairman, House Committee on Health Services, Mr Hakeem Sokunle, made the disclosure at one-day public hearing on Organ Harvest and Transplantation Bill on Wednesday in Lagos. Sokunle explained that the department was to advise the state government on all matters relating to organ harvest, transplantation and preservation. The lawmaker said the department would also formulate and develop state strategies, guidelines and protocols for medical transplant and harvest in the state. He said: “The bill when passed into law will formulate and develop state strategies, guidelines and protocols for medical transplants and harvest in...
Nigerian government begs resident doctors to shelve planned strike
The Federal Government has appealed to Resident Doctors to shelve their threat of embarking on a nationwide strike in the country. The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, made the appeal at a conciliatory meeting with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) on Wednesday in Abuja. Newsmen recall that NARD had threatened to shut public health care facilities beginning from April 1, over unpaid salaries and other welfare packages. Ngige said that majority of the welfare issues under contention were almost resolved even before the letter of compliant and notification of a planned strike action was delivered at the ministry ”We are here because we have started solving your issues. We put up proposals with given timelines on how to deal with them. “We will look at thos...
Nigerian government alerts health institutions of fake coronavirus vaccine in circulation
The Ministry of Health has alerted all tertiary health institutions in Nigeria of the circulation of fake COVID-19 vaccine in Africa and the need to be on the lookout. The ministry also dispelled any possibility of COVID-19 vaccines being available for sale or being administered by any unauthorised institution in the country. This was contained in a circular issued by the ministry’s Director, Department of Hospital Services, Dr. Adebimpe Adeblyi, on behalf of the minister, Osagie Ehanire. The circular dated March 26, 2021, a copy of which our correspondent sighted on Saturday was addressed to Chief Medical Directors/Medical Directors of federal tertiary health institutions. Titled “Report of fake COVID-19 vaccine destined for Africa arrested in China,” the circular has C.1693/P&P/T/22 ...
Official: No evidence of cholera outbreak in Oyo community
The Commissioner for Health in Oyo State, Dr Bashir Bello, says there is no evidence to back recent claims of a cholera outbreak in Lagun Village of the Lagelu Local Government Area of Ibadan, Oyo State. This is contained in a statement issued in Ibadan on Wednesday by Mr Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Seyi Makinde.According to the commissioner, the state Ministry of Health has submitted the report of its technical committee that investigated the claim of cholera outbreak in Lagun village. The report, entitled, “Re: Rumours of suspected cholera outbreak in Lagelu LGA of Oyo State,” was signed by the Commissioner. The report, Bello said, indicated that investigations by the state’s Epidemiological Team, including the Disease Surveillance and Notification Officer (DSNO) and t...
Strange illness kills two in Kogi community
Two persons have been confirmed dead at a Fulani and Tiv farm settlement in Odo-Ere, Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State as a result of strange illness. Others affected by the strange illness were said to be receiving treatment at some private hospitals and ECWA Hospital Egbe. A Director in the YWLGA, Reuben Oshagbemi, said the incident was first reported at a private clinic, adding that symptoms of the sickness include stooling, diarrhoea and vomiting. He however pointed out that the situation was under control. Oshagbemi explained that the Ministry of Health had been contacted, noting that the “state epidemiologists will determine the nature of the illness.” However, when our correspondent contacted the state Commissioner for Health, Saka Audu, he said his team of medical pers...
Enugu ministry mourns late commissioner
The management and staff of Enugu State Ministry of Health on Thursday mourned the former Commissioner for Health in the state, late Prof. Anthony Ugochukwu, who died at 58 following an undisclosed ailment. A statement by the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the ministry, Mrs Uzoamaka Ekoh, in Enugu said the occasion conducted at the ministry’s headquarters in the state capital was to bid goodbye to the late commissioner. Speaking during the lying-in-state, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ikechukwu Obi commiserated with the deceased’s family. Obi prayed God to grant the family the fortitude to bear the loss as he also charged staff to always remember the legacies of the Late Commissioner and live up to expectation. He described that the late Ugochukwu as a rare gem and prayed God to grant...
Governor Diri sues for understanding over Bayelsa, Rivers boundary dispute
Gov. Douye Diri of Bayelsa has called on the Rivers State government to show understanding in order to amicably resolve the dispute between Oluasiri Clan in Bayelsa and their Kalabari neighbours in Rivers. The Oluasiri communities in Nembe Local Government Area of Bayelsa and their Kalabari Ijaw kinsmen are locked in dispute arising from the location of oil wells within the boundary area. Diri made the plea in Yenagoa during a meeting with stakeholders from the Oluasiri clan led by the paramount ruler, Chief Iyerite Awululu. He sought the support of Ijaw leaders and elders to resolve the age-long feud between the two Ijaw communities. In a statement by his acting Chief Press Secretary, Mr Daniel Alabrah, the governor said the state government will protect its territories and work with the ...
NBS solicits Nigerians’ support on survey on children, women
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has appealed to the general public to support its survey on the situation of women and children it is conducting, is brought to “ a successful end”. Mr Sunday Ichedi, the Head, Public Affairs and International Relations Unit, NBS made the appeal on Wednesday in a statement. Ichedi said that Nigeria had formally started the process of conducting the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS6)/National Immunisation Coverage Survey (NICS) with a virtual inaugural meeting of the National Steering Committee. The global MICS programme was developed by United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the 1990s as an international household survey programme. The programme was developed to support countries in the collection of internationally comparable data on a wi...
Nigerian government begs health workers to suspend nationwide strike
The Federal Government has appealed to the Joint Health Sector Unions to suspend its one-week warning strike nationwide. The Minister of Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire, made the appeal on Monday during the briefing of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 in Abuja. “I use this opportunity to appeal to JOHESU to suspend their strike and go into a negotiation. “The position of the Ministry of Health is that strikes by healthcare workers jeopardise the lives of citizens, especially at such times of global health emergencies as now. “Nigeria needs the service of all our health workers to control the spread of COVID-19. Issues around allowances are multi-sectoral and have always been served with negotiations no matter how long it took,” he pleaded. The minister’s plea is coming hours after JOHESU ...
NCDC certifies molecular laboratory in Bayelsa
The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has activated the newly inaugurated Bayelsa State Molecular Laboratory, Research and Diagnostic Centre for COVID-19 testing. The facility, which was inaugurated by Gov. Douye Diri, brought the number of NCDC accredited laboratories in the country to 66 in 34 states. The Acting Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr Daniel Alabrah, announced this in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Yenagoa. He said that the NCDC in a letter by the Laboratory Network Advisor, Celestina Obiekea, to the Bayelsa Commissioner for Health, stated that the laboratory had fulfilled the necessary requirements to test for COVID-19. He quoted the NCDC as saying that the state would be responsible for procurement of consumables, equipment and other mater...
20 OOUTH staff, family of four test positive for coronavirus
Tension has enveloped the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu, in Ogun State as no fewer than 20 medical laboratory staff of the hospital and another family of four have contracted coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The family of four was said to have contracted the viral disease from their father who happened to be one of the staff working in the hospital’s main laboratory. A dependable source in the hospital said that the staff of the laboratory started going for the COVID-19 test last week Friday, August 13 following the death of staff from the department while some were already ill and manifesting symptoms associated with Covid-19. The results of the test were said to have started trickling in from last week Saturday to yesterday, Tuesday confirming that 20 out o...
Niger government warns against violation of coronavirus protocols as schools reopen
The Niger State Government has warned school administrators to ensure students of graduating classes adhere strictly to the COVID-19 Infection Prevention Protocols (IPC) as issued by the Ministry of Health and Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC). The state commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon. Muhammad Sani Idris, gave the warning during a working visit to Schools in Tafa, Suleja and Chanchaga Local Government Areas to monitor the commencement of West African Examination Council (WAEC) to ascertain the level of compliance with the established COVID-19 protocols. Idris alongside his counterpart of the Ministry for Education, Hajiya Hannatu Salihu reiterated government commitment to adequate provision for safe reopening of schools in the State. “The government is determined t...
