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Thursday 30 April 2015

Madonna University Cultural Week On Going

Madonna University is at it again. But this time, it is more grand and colourful. Like in the previous editions, professionals from all works of life and from different countries are converging on the Madonna University main campus in Elele, Rivers state, Nigeria, for this annual event.

As it is, students from all affiliate campuses of the Madonna University were on hand to add to the event. Talks, interviews, dramas, unique cultural displays were part of what made this year's event stand out.

The fulcrum for all that is happening this year all stems from the Philosophy of the Founding Father, Very Rev Fr Prof E.M.P Edeh- 'the MMA-ADI'. A philosophy that surpasses all past works on African Philosophy and it proven effectiveness, as shown by its application in practical charity. This is what this year's Cultural Convention seeks to showcase.

See some photos (By DQB Images) soon!!!

Wednesday 29 April 2015

Xenophobia Works Well In The Hospital System

According to the Wikipedia, Xenophobia is the unseasoned fear for that which is foreign or strange. It stems from fear of the unknown. This concept is playing out across a major city in South Africa. This, is not the meat of this article. That does not mean that Doctors Quarters Blog is not bothered about the mindless, senseless attacks on foreign black Africans; for all Africans must stand up firmly and condemn the act. It is indeed unwarranted.

Patients often come to the hospital for expert care and management. In our clime, patients generally dread going to the hospitals for many reasons, among which is poverty, ignorance. But of particular note is the Fear of the Hospital environment. Some see the hospital as a strange place to be. This strangeness is further engraved by the peculiar characteristics of a hospital. Sometimes it is the strange smell of the place, the white attire of doctors and nurses and the general 'lull', unique only to the our hospitals. It is a good fear and should be encouraged. Any taint on this fear changes it to a bad fear and the repercussions could be bad, mostly on the patient side.

Orthopaedic Nursing: National Orthopaedic Hospital Set To Admit

A Applications are invited from suitably qualidied candidates for admission into the following Training Programmes at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu for 2015/2016 session 
 
Admission Into Training Programmes at National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu
 
POST BASIC SCHOOL OF NURSING
a. Orthopaedic Nursing
 
SCHOOL OF ORTHOPAEDIC CATE TECHNOLOGY
For full time National Diploma programme in Orthopaedic cast Technology
 
QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS
POST BASIC SCHOOL OF NURSING 
Candidates must:
i. Possess West African School Certificate/GCE/NECO or their acceptable equivalent with credits in five (5) subjects at one or two sittings.
 
1.  This must include a credit in English Language, Mathematics and at least two (2) Science subject viz Biology Chemistry and Physics.
2. Be registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria.
3.  Have at least one (2) year post qualification experience in the clinical area
4.  Show evidence of sponsorship
5.  Current Parcticing License
6.  Have three referee letters one of which must be from Principal/Dean of your school
 
 
ii.  SCHOOL OF ORTHOPAEDIC AND TECHNOLOGY MUST - Candidates must 
i.  Possess West African School Certificate/GCE/NECO or their acceptable equivalent with credit in five (5) subjects at not more than two sittings.
This must include a credit in English Language, Mathematics, Biology or Health Science and two (2) other subjects,
 
2.  There referee letters one of which must be from Principal/Dean of last school
 
3.  Experience in the clinical ust of Plaster of Paris will be an added advantage
 
METHOD OF APPLICATION
Applications shoould be addressed to the Medical Director National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu.
Applications and copies of the relevant credentials should be contained in a sealed envelope and submitted at the RET Office, National Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu not later than 6 weeks from the date of this publication.
 
DURATION OF PROGRAMMES
(i) POST BASIC SCHOOL OF NURSING.
The duration of the course is twelve calendar months comprising two (2) semesters
 
ii.  SCHOOL OF ORTHOPAEDIC CAST TECHNOLOGY:
The duration of the course is two (2) years, comprising four (4) semesters of academic/practical work
 
SELECTION INTERVIEW
Only shorlisted candidates will be invited for selection interview which will take place at the New Conference Hall, National Orthnopaedic Hospital, Enugu, scheduled as follows
 
(i) Post Basic Nursing Schools:
 
Orthopaedic Nursing  - 10th August, 2015
 
ii.  School of Orthopaedic Cast Technology: 31st August,2015
 
Time : 9: 00 am
 
Signed
Managment

Tuesday 28 April 2015

Boost Your Brain Power With These Wonder Nutrients

Huffpost:
In order to defend against a variety of age-related conditions that can impair your memory and the general functioning of your brain, a good first step is to concentrate on incorporating three nutrients into your diet: omega-3 fatty acids, flavonoids and vitamin E.

They come naturally and have proven effects;
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids:
  • Oily cold-water fish: herring, sardines, mackerel, salmon, halibut and trout
  • Leafy greens: Brussels sprouts, spinach, arugula, mint, kale and watercress
  • Oils: flaxseed oil, canola oil, cod liver oil, soybean oil and mustard oil
  • Eggs
Walnuts  Foods high in flavonoids:
  • Berries: blueberries, strawberries and blackberries
  • Leafy greens: spinach, kale and watercress
  • Other colorful produce: butternut squash, avocados, plums and red grapes
  • Coffee
  • Dark chocolate
  • Red wine
 Foods high in vitamin E:
  • Nuts and seeds: almonds, pecans, peanut butter, peanuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts and sunflower seeds
  • Oils: wheat germ oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, corn oil and soybean oil
Leafy greens: spinach, dandelion greens, swiss chard and turnip greens

There you have it... Take charge of your health today

Sunday 26 April 2015

A Nurse is a Good Shepherd

Mass is over on this rainy Sunday. I thought it would actually be sunny. I love a sunny Sunday. The congregation, made up of mainly students, for it was a student mass, arrived the church on time and the Priest, decked in that ancient priestly attire, began the mass.

The sermon was truly rich, as he tried to paint whom a true shepherd is. One line that struck me the most was when he said, 'a shepherd nurtures, directs, grooms, and love his flock.' He went on to say that, 'a good shepherd is one who lays down his life for his sheep/flock'.
While he spoke, he would punctuate each major point with a question, 'do we have good shepherd around us today'.

I know his sermon was to ginger us onto being a good shepherd, but I also know that there are good shepherds in the healthcare system.
How do we explain the task of nurse, who cares, who directs, who grooms and nurture all kind of patients from ill health to sound health.

I have a great regard for this breed of healthcare givers because not only are they the owners of the ward, they exhibit the right vibe and disposition that is required for a patient to get well. Nurses would normally say, 'we are the owners of the patient', because of that over riding urge to care for patient. It is just like machine work...

A nurse should be respected, a nurse should not be ignored. Like that Good shepherd, experience has shown that a nurse is more inclined to lay down her life for the good of the patient. It cannot be over emphasised.

Maybe some day, the philosophy of the Good Shepherd would be practised fill in our health system. Health care givers must understand that their profession is a calling!! It is one that requires you put your likes and inclination aside for those of the patient.
We are getting there, but the Nursing profession is truly the beacon of hope in all of these.

Thursday 23 April 2015

Nurses and Med Students: No love lost!!!

It so happened my discussion group happened to be in a consulting room, taking to pieces And rectal malformations. We would normally meet every other day, save for weekends. Any location we found okay, we turned to our discussion venue. We would normally not seek out a location, to disturb other studious students, nor would we want to overstretch our luck, by using venues, not originally meant for students.

Today was however different. With rays of the sun blazing at a high temperature, we sought the cool, serene ambience of a consulting room. Of course clinic hours were over, since the doctors have seen them all. I particularly suggested that we made use of the room. In my mind, there was no problem if we stay only 2hours.
And so we settled in, and began the business for the day.

After about 45 minutes of our discussion, there was a knock on the door. The nurse on duty stepped in and just started at us. Her face had the expression, 'what in the Lord's name are you doing in here'.
In that was exactly what came out of her mouth. She added, 'you have a second to disappear from this room, Prof Onyedinma's office'.
And she dashed out of the office.

Quietly, we packed our study materials and moved to another venue. As we rounded off our discussions for the day, I asked my colleagues if that was Prof Onyedinma's office. He happened to be the Head of Surgery Department. The answer I got was a big 'NO'.
Then why did that Nurse treat us that way? No answer was forth coming. More and more questions on the incident, and yet no logical answer.

So, we came to a conclusion  that this was just that age long belief that Nurses and Med student can only exist together with skirmishes as the common factor. Or is there more to it?

Tuesday 21 April 2015

Patients Love Being The Boss

 Today was quite interesting. The clinic was, as usual busy and uneventful. This was so until a man turned up. His voice reminded of a similar patient that came for a consult and professional care on what he calls 'ever growing mass' on his right fore arm.
Today's patient was similar because both had this strong, hard-to-neglect voice production.

I remembered how he marched into the clinic, apparently healthy, and 'demanded' to see the ranking surgeon on duty. Initially, I thought he was rude and never cared about how others felt. But I got to understand that he was used to giving instructions, and making sure they are carries out to the letter. He is a retired Colonel of the Nigerian Army

But beyond this, most patient expect to be given 100 per cent. You can literally see it in their eyes, or on their body movements. The Colonel was told to wait for his turn by a colleague of mine, and he was disappointed. How were we supposed to have managed this case, if not insisting on 'first come, first serve'.

It is only fair to treat all patients in fairness and equity, and according to the presenting symptom. He thought we would fast track the process, to his favour, because he is Retired military officer.
Doctors and health givers generally, get irritated when a patient tries to be a boss, to the detriment of other patients.

I truly believe that after that 20minutes talk given to the Colonel by our consultant, he would strive to be better.
Healthcare delivery services is for all. Patients must understand that their rights should not infringe on the right of other patients, who wants quality management as well. It does not help when some would try to be a boss, when a little patience would suffice.


Now The Patient is The Doctor

People sometimes look at a doctor as superhuman. In the eye of the ordinary person on the streets, a doctor is never ever supposed to complain about health issues, especially when that particular health issue is primarily on the doctor. The typical African society abhors the very notion that 'a doctor is ill'. In this alone, is an unwritten taboo.

How can a doctor fall sick? What on earth was he thinking before he came ill? Is it normal for you, a doctor to go under the weather?
These are the kind of questions patients ask when the news is broken that a doctor has fallen I'll. In our clime, it has been elevated to the status of 'breaking news', whenever a doctor reports ill.

Let me the clear. Doctors are first and foremost, HUMANS, before the title- 'Dr', was added to his name. No matter how it may look, the average man should not begin to see Doctors as 'infallable' to disease conditions.

But on the other side of the coin, this status of demi-gods have been encouraged by doctors themselves. The status of 'medical doctor', however elitist and high social standing must not be confused by the average person ams much more by the bearer of such title. A doctor must seek medical attention whenever symptoms arise, from a fellow medical doctor. But would pride or ego allow doctors to do so?

How do explain slumping while doing his rounds, only to be examined and discovered to be hypertensive. Doctors should be taught, to practice whatever they preach and uphold whatever they believe. Doctors are not immune from disease conditions that afflict man. On the contrary, falling sick during care of patients is a common occupational hazard.

Rather than act and pose like demi-gods, throwing caution to wind with respect to the universal precautions, doctors must act in a manner no less than the title allows, and must be the on prompt lookout of symptoms, with the aim of presenting to another doctor for proper care and management.
Take it or leave it; the doctor ends up being a patient.

Saturday 18 April 2015

Is the community happy when a bad doctor marries a bad nurse?

For some time now, the talk of this union has been in the air. The doctor and groom, Dr Chibuike, actually works in the Paediatric department while the nurse and bride, Staff Chiamaka, works in the Obstetric and Gynaecology department, here in our facility.

Calm and calculated, Dr Malachy is moves on, from one patient after another, giving them that optimum care and attention they deserve. Most clinical students relate well with him because he takes time and care to put them through any unclear point or detail. One student actually confided in me that he has a charming smile and disposition. For me, it was his beautiful, meticulously shiny car that got my attention. I have long concluded that he is a meticulous fellow.

She may present to first time observers as a cold, distant nurse. But when one gets close to relating with her, she has so much more behind that facade. She is a personification of that saying, 'As caring as nurse'. I for one know that she loves to sing, because we are members of the same choir. She sings in the highest range of a female singing voice. I noticed she is everly punctual, and dedicated in service to patients. For me, she comes across as one who got it right choosing to answer the call to serve; the call to be a nurse.

For most of us in this our hospital community, they have got it right. Deciding to forever be together and consummating it today in that sacred act of holy matrimony, nothing can be more fulfilling.
But why would i refer to them as bad doctor and bad nurse? Are they truly bad? Is there something every other person is missing but i see clearly? Is this an unwritten, unclear pact that is doomed to fail? Should i let the cat out of the bag?

I would rather put it this way: LIFE IS FILLED WITH IRONIES. But it is no irony that there is sincere love joining the couple today. It is clear by the level of palpable joy in the air, that Doctors and Nurses can happily coexist. The 'badness' that I express, is the only irony in this article. Other things stand true and clear from where i stand, observing.

DOCTORS QUARTER'S BLOG WISH THIS BEAUTIFUL COUPLE A BLISSFUL MARRIED LIFE.

Friday 17 April 2015

SPONSORED POST: WHY ABIA GUBER WAS MESSED UP - By Franklin Fabiano Jnr

This sponsored post is as sent by a concerned Nigerian, who happens to be a loyal DQB reader. Though a medical/health blog, he does not have a platform on which to air his views on the topic. So he sent in this email and hoped it got approved. This is one of DQB ways of giving back to our loyal
readers. It must however be stressed that DQB do not get involved in partisan politics. Enjoy.

It is now on record and without any controversy, that Prof Benjamin Ozurumba, Vice Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, is the most corrupt Nigerian ever. The reason is clear. This is so because, he conferred a doctorate degree on Dr Alex Otti, on the 42nd convocation ceremony of UNN, wherein he must have dined, wined with Dr Alex Otti. His appointment as Abia State Returning Officer was flawed, considering that he did not reject this position, despite the fact that his friend, Dr Alex Otti, was a key contender in the polls. He should have simply turned down this position least his sinister move be revealed. He accepted this position and virtually set Abia State on fire, to foist his friend on Abians.

I have known that the PDP national leadership is inept, inactive and lazy. Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, who is the Secretary to Government of the Federation,was also an awardee on that day and even had a group photograph with them, did not even disclose to the PDP leadership, that the returning officer for Abia State is a friend to Dr Alex Otti. What a betrayal!!!

I only wish for justice to be done. Abia State is greater than any resident. LET JUSTICE PREVAIL.
God bless Abia State, God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Written By Franklin Fabiano Jnr, Public Health Student, who loves to play and watch football.




Travelling Wishes To All Madonna University Students!!!

A loyal DQB reader, who happens to be a student at Madonna University, sent in this email. She composed a tribute to all Students of the Prestigious Madonna University, Nigeria, as they resume from the Easter break. Here it is;

I m just thinking aloud. Thinking of a lot of things at once. The present, past and future. What is most outstanding in my contemplation is my Journey to school.

I happen to be almost on the verge of graduation, a finalist. My campus is basically a science oriented campus, situated in far away Elele, Rivers state. So for the umpteenth, I ll be making my way back to school to finish what I have started.

Like ants, we would throng the airports and bus parks to make it a distance shorter from school. Of course, some would be Chauffeur-driven back to school. But, I still find it puzzling, that there have been no major case of Road Traffic Accident involving Madonnite on any resumption day. Some would say it is coincidence, other may call it 'Luck'. I choose to see it as 'Divine Providence'.

As usual, normal security checks would be done at the gate. Life would then continue according to the programme of the institution. I have a few months to stay, and I m moved to utter a word of prayer to God, for all Madonnites that would be on the Road to school.
Like HE has always done, these past few years of my stay in school, HE would grant all a safe trip back to campus.

I m relieved. I am going back to that institution, that have given me so much. Looking ahead, the future is definitely bright for us all.
SAFE TRIP, MADONNITES!!!'

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Pharmaceutical Council of Nigeria To begin Clampdown of Illegal Drug Outlets.

The Pharmacists Council of Nigeria (PCN) yesterday said that it is working to stop the circulation of fake drugs by clamping down on illegal vendors.
 
Registrar of the Council, Nasiru Elijah Mohammed, said this at a retreat organized for key officers of the council in Kaduna. He said medicine vendors must be literate and should secure approval to sell over-the-counter drugs, adding that anyone found selling prescription drugs  would have himself to blame. 
 
“Patient medicine vendors must be literate to avoid the sale of expired drugs or those that lose potency over time. We shall ensure that prescribed drugs are only obtained from the authorized dealers,” he said.
 
 
He said the council would encourage pharmacists and patient medicine dealers to ensure effective service delivery by attending to the needs of their clients. 
 
He further stated that the council would ensure institutionalization of good pharmacy practice through “promotion of the provision of pharmaceutical care, promotion of patients’ health and quality of life as well as improving visibility and image for pharmacy practices in public.”

Madonna University Nigeria Resumption Fixed For 18 April

A loyal DQB reader just sent an email to me to remind all Madonnites about the resumption date fixed for 18th April, 2015. DQB gathered that all student are to report to campus on this day to begin academic work in earnest!!

The email also admonished female students to watch the load they bring back to campus. This got me interested!! How big truly, is this load? Is it really the females that bring the biggest load, or the males?
From which part of Nigeria is the biggest load coming in from?

 Yes... you can send in live pictures of the biggest loads from bus parks or airports across the country. Send in the picture on twitter using the hash tag #madonnaresumes.
Or send the picture on this email.. drokoloemeka@gmail.com
Or share on instagram, tag the photo using #madonnaresumes

Let us catch the student with the biggest load this time!!!

DQB WednesdayDelight Is Back and Better!!!

The Doctors Quarter's Blog WednesdayDelight was shelved temporarily. We had to go back to make it richer and more fun.
Now it is back!!! Keep reading DQB, as details would be communicated soon!



Man Gets 25years to Life Sentence After Killing Family in Crash

(Reuters) - A New York City man was sentenced to a prison term of 25 years to life on Monday over a fatal 2013 hit-and-run car crash that killed a young Orthodox Jewish family, prosecutors said.
Julio Acevedo, 46, was convicted over the collision that killed Raizy and Nachman Glauber, 21, and their premature infant, the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
The victims were members of an Orthodox Jewish enclave in Williamsburg, Brooklyn and were on the way to the hospital in Mar. 2013 when their taxi was hit broadside by a gray BMW sedan, police said. The BMW driver fled the scene on foot.
The baby was delivered by Cesarean section at Bellevue Hospital, where the mother had been pronounced dead on arrival, but died the following day, officials said.
Acevedo was convicted in February of two counts of second-degree manslaughter, one count of criminally negligent homicide and two counts of leaving the scene, the district attorney's office said.
He received an enhanced sentence because he was deemed a "persistent felony offender," the statement said.
Family friends said the child's birth was a ray of hope that was extinguished when he died of his injuries. They said Raizy Glauber was about six months pregnant and wanted to go to the hospital because she was feeling unwell.
Police launched a manhunt for Acevedo, whom a witness picked out of a photo lineup. Acevedo later surrendered to New York City detectives in the parking lot of a convenience store in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. (Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Paul Tait)

What is the point of health apps when we are healthy?

Do you have a health app on your smartphone? Have it ever served it's purpose? Do you truly need it, even when you are health? Are there too many app with little value? Are there room for improvement?
Such questions form a debate in the latest issue of The BMJ, which pitches an emergency doctor and editor of a website that reviews health apps against a general practitioner who argues, no, healthy people cannot benefit from them.

Nigeria Nursing Anthem - Outstanding Piece.

I was walking along the nursing auditorium on my way to study. That was when I heard the nurse chant this beautiful anthem. I paused and listened. It is indeed breath taking... enjoy the anthem!!!

We are called to serve humanity
Endowed with the Act and SENSE of CARING
We are built on INTEGRITY and DISCIPLINE
That Transcient through every generation
IMMACULATE and AMICABLE
We are the source of HOPE to ailing ones
And the FOUNDATION for building a Health world
Together we shall Stand
 
CHORUS:
Nurses are GREAT
Nurses are CARING
An epitome of HUMILITY to SERVICE
We are specially ordained for this VOCATION
YES AM PROUD TO BE A NURSE!!!
 
From near and far we have gathered with one goal
To Uphold the good name of our PROFESSION
 
N - For Neatness and Splendor
U - For Understanding
R - For Responsiveness
S - Selfless Service
I - Innovative and Initiative
N - For Nobility
G -  Gentleness and Love
 
CHORUS:
Nurses are GREAT
Nurses are CARING
An epitome of HUMILITY to SERVICE
We are specially ordained for this VOCATION
YES AM PROUD TO BE A NURSE!!!

LUTH School of Nursing Form Out for Sale

The sales of Admission Forms to the School of Nursing, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi Araba for 2015/2016 is in progress and would be on till 3rd July 2015.
 
According to information on the Lagos university teaching hospital school of nursing website http://www.sonluth.com, The First examination would hold on the 11th of July 2015.
 
Prospective applicants are however warned to BEWARE OF FRAUDSTERS!!! and Advised "DO NOT PAY INTO ANY INDIVIDUAL'S BANK ACCOUNT
 
For more information, please visit the school website or visit the school.

Tuesday 14 April 2015

Chimamanda Adichie Epic Response To Oba Of Lagos's Threat.

Incase you have not read the epic response if multiple award winner, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's response to the Oba of Lagos threat to Igbos living resident in Lagos, here it is.... Do Enjoy!!!

A few days ago, the Oba of Lagos threatened Igbo leaders. If they did not vote for his governorship candidate in Lagos, he said, they would be thrown into the lagoon. His entire speech was a flagrant performance of disregard. His words said, in effect: I think so little of you that I don’t have to cajole you but will just threaten you and, by the way, your safety in Lagos is not assured, it is negotiable.
There have been condemnations of the Oba’s words. Sadly, many of the condemnations from non-Igbo people have come with the ugly impatience of expressions like ‘move on,’ and ‘don’t be over-emotional’ and ‘calm down.’ These take away the power, even the sincerity, of the condemnations. It is highhanded and offensive to tell an aggrieved person how to feel, or how quickly to forgive, just as an apology becomes a non-apology when it comes with ‘now get over it’.
Other condemnations of the Oba’s words have been couched in dismissive or diminishing language such as ‘The Oba can’t really do anything, he isn’t actually going to kill anyone. He was joking. He was just being a loudmouth.’
Or – the basest yet – ‘we are all prejudiced.’ It is dishonest to respond to a specific act of prejudice by ignoring that act and instead stressing the generic and the general. It is similar to responding to a specific crime by saying ‘we are all capable of crime.’ Indeed we are. But responses such as these are diversionary tactics. They dismiss the specific act, diminish its importance, and ultimately aim at silencing the legitimate fears of people.
We are indeed all prejudiced, but that is not an appropriate response to an issue this serious. The Oba is not an ordinary citizen. He is a traditional ruler in a part of a country where traditional rulers command considerable influence – the reluctance on the part of many to directly chastise the Oba speaks to his power. The Oba’s words matter. He is not a singular voice; he represents traditional authority. The Oba’s words matter because they are enough to incite violence in a political setting already fraught with uncertainty. The Oba’s words matter even more in the event that Ambode loses the governorship election, because it would then be easy to scapegoat Igbo people and hold them punishable.
Nigerians who consider themselves enlightened might dismiss the Oba’s words as illogical. But the scapegoating of groups – which has a long history all over the world – has never been about logic. The Oba’s words matter because they bring worrying echoes of the early 1960s in Nigeria, when Igbo people were scapegoated for political reasons. Chinua Achebe, when he finally accepted that Lagos, the city he called home, was unsafe for him because he was Igbo, saw crowds at the motor park taunting Igbo people as they boarded buses: ‘Go, Igbo, go so that garri will be cheaper in Lagos!’
Of course Igbo people were not responsible for the cost of garri. But they were perceived as people who were responsible for a coup and who were ‘taking over’ and who, consequently, could be held responsible for everything bad.
Any group of people would understandably be troubled by a threat such as the Oba’s, but the Igbo, because of their history in Nigeria, have been particularly troubled. And it is a recent history. There are people alive today who were publicly attacked in cosmopolitan Lagos in the 1960s because they were Igbo. Even people who were merely light-skinned were at risk of violence in Lagos markets, because to be light-skinned was to be mistaken for Igbo.
Almost every Nigerian ethnic group has a grouse of some sort with the Nigerian state. The Nigerian state has, by turns, been violent, unfair, neglectful, of different parts of the country. Almost every ethnic group has derogatory stereotypes attached to it by other ethnic groups.
But it is disingenuous to suggest that the experience of every ethnic group has been the same. Anti-Igbo violence began under the British colonial government, with complex roots and manifestations. But the end result is a certain psychic difference in the relationship of Igbo people to the Nigerian state. To be Igbo in Nigeria is constantly to be suspect; your national patriotism is never taken as the norm, you are continually expected to prove it.
All groups are conditioned by their specific histories. Perhaps another ethnic group would have reacted with less concern to the Oba’s threat, because that ethnic group would not be conditioned by a history of being targets of violence, as the Igbo have been.
Many responses to the Oba’s threat have mentioned the ‘welcoming’ nature of Lagos, and have made comparisons between Lagos and southeastern towns like Onitsha. It is valid to debate the ethnic diversity of different parts of Nigeria, to compare, for example, Ibadan and Enugu, Ado-Ekiti and Aba, and to debate who moves where, and who feels comfortable living where and why that is. But it is odd to pretend that Lagos is like any other city in Nigeria. It is not. The political history of Lagos and its development as the first national capital set it apart. Lagos is Nigeria’s metropolis. There are ethnic Igbo people whose entire lives have been spent in Lagos, who have little or no ties to the southeast, who speak Yoruba better than Igbo. Should they, too, be reminded to be ‘grateful’ each time an election draws near?
No law-abiding Nigerian should be expected to show gratitude for living peacefully in any part of Nigeria. Landlords in Lagos should not, as still happens too often, be able to refuse to rent their property to Igbo people.
The Oba’s words were disturbing, but its context is even more disturbing:
The anti-Igbo rhetoric that has been part of the political discourse since the presidential election results. Accusatory and derogatory language – using words like ‘brainwashed,’ ‘tribalistic voting’ – has been used to describe President Jonathan’s overwhelming win in the southeast. All democracies have regions that vote in large numbers for one side, and even though parts of Northern Nigeria showed voting patterns similar to the Southeast, the opprobrium has been reserved for the Southeast.
But the rhetoric is about more than mere voting. It is really about citizenship. To be so entitled as to question the legitimacy of a people’s choice in a democratic election is not only a sign of disrespect but is also a questioning of the full citizenship of those people.
What does it mean to be a Nigerian citizen?
When Igbo people are urged to be ‘grateful’ for being in Lagos, do they somehow have less of a right as citizens to live where they live? Every Nigerian should be able to live in any part of Nigeria. The only expectation for a Nigerian citizen living in any part of Nigeria is to be law-abiding. Not to be ‘grateful.’ Not to be expected to pay back some sort of unspoken favour by toeing a particular political line. Nigerian citizens can vote for whomever they choose, and should never be expected to justify or apologize for their choice.
Only by feeling a collective sense of ownership of Nigeria can we start to forge a nation. A nation is an idea. Nigeria is still in progress. To make this a nation, we must collectively agree on what citizenship means: all Nigerians must matter equally.

30 year old man volunters for first ever head transplant.

In one of our earlier posts, Doctors Quarter's Blog brought to you the report of an Italian scientist that is set to announce plans and schedules of first ever HEAD TRANSPLANT. Now, a 30 year old Russian is to be the first to undergo the procedure.

Dr. Sergio Canavero, of the Turin Advanced Neuromodulation Group (TANG) in Italy, first spoke of his plans to carry out the first human head transplantation in July 2013 - a project named HEAVEN-GEMINI.
At the American Academy of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgeons' 39th Annual Conference in Annapolis, MD, in June, Dr. Canavero will present updated plans for the project, addressing some of the previously identified challenges that come with it.
Though researchers have seriously questioned the feasibility of Dr. Canavero's plans, it seems the first human head transplantation is a step closer to becoming a reality; Valery Spiridonov, a 30-year-old computer scientist from Vladimir, Russia, is the first person to volunteer for the procedure.
Spiridonov has Werdnig-Hoffman disease - a rare genetic muscle wasting condition, also referred to as type 1 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). The condition is caused by the loss of motor neurons in the spinal cord and the brain region connected to the spinal cord. Individuals with the disease are unable to walk and are often unable to sit unaided.
Spiridonov was diagnosed with Werdnig-Hoffman disease at the age of 1 and told MailOnline that he volunteered for HEAVEN-GEMINI because he wants the chance of a new body before he dies.
'"I can hardly control my body now," he said. "I need help every day, every minute. I am now 30 years old, although people rarely live to more than 20 with this disease."
The procedure - which is estimated to take 100 surgeons around 36 hours to complete - will involve spinal cord fusion (SCF). The head from a donor body will be removed using an "ultra-sharp blade" in order to limit the amount of damage the spinal cord sustains.
"The key to SCF is a sharp severance of the cords themselves," Dr. Canavero explains in a paper published earlier this year, "with its attendant minimal damage to both the axons in the white matter and the neurons in the gray laminae. This is a key point."
The recipient will be kept in a coma for around 3-4 weeks, says Dr. Canavero, during which time the spinal cord will be subject to electrical stimulation via implanted electrodes in order to boost the new nerve connections.
The surgeon estimates that - with the help of physical therapy - the patient would be able to walk within 1 year.
Spiridonov admits he is worried about undergoing the procedure. "Am I afraid? Yes, of course I am," he toldMailOnline. "But it is not just very scary, but also very interesting."
"You have to understand that I don't really have many choices," he added. "If I don't try this chance my fate will be very sad. With every year my state is getting worse."
Written by Honor Whitman on MNT.

New low-temperature plasma treatment for prostate cancer developed.

Researchers from the University of York in the UK have discovered a potential new treatment option for patients with early-stage prostate cancer - low-temperature plasmas.

The study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, seeks to address the current inadequacy of long-term treatment forprostate cancer, despite the continual improvements that have been made to methods of treatment in recent years.
At present, patients who develop early stage organ-confined tumors can be treated with a focal therapy, such as cryotherapy or radiotherapy.
"However, around a third of patients will experience recurrence of their disease following radiotherapy," explains study co-author Adam Hirst. "This may be due to the inherent radio-resistance of a small fraction of the tumor - the cancerstem-like cells. Furthermore, numerous side effects are often experienced following treatment."
According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), prostate cancer is the second-most common cancer in American men and the second leading cause of cancer death among this group. Around 1 in 7 will be diagnosed with the disease during their lifetime, at an average age of 66.
"In recent years, the rapidly advancing field of low-temperature atmospheric pressure plasmas has shown considerable promise for future translational biomedical applications," write the study authors, "including cancer therapy, through the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species."
Low-temperature plasmas are formed when a high electric field is applied across a gas via an electrode, breaking down the gas. As the plasma is formed, a unique reactive environment is formed that contains high concentrations of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species.
The plasmas are subsequently used to transfer reactive oxygen and nitrogen species to a target, leading to oxidative damage and cell death that differs from the kind caused by other forms of therapy.
While other therapies cause apoptosis, prompting cells to die through natural mechanisms that cells can eventually become resistant to, low-temperature plasma breaks up cells and causes necrosis. In necrosis, cell death occurs through the rupturing of cell membranes.

Low-temperature plasma therapy could be a viable, more cost-effective treatment option

The researchers used tissue samples from a single patient in order to take both healthy prostate cells and prostate cancer cells, allowing for a direct comparison of the effectiveness of the treatment.
"Through this research we have found that [low-temperature plasmas] induce high levels of DNA damage, which led in turn to a substantial reduction in colony-forming ability, and ultimately necrotic cell death," states Hirst.
As well as being effective at killing cancer cells, the use of low-temperature plasmas could also be a more cost-effective way of treating organ-confined prostate cancer in comparison with current forms of radiotherapy and photodynamic therapy.
"Using clinically relevant, close-to-patient samples, we have presented the first experimental evidence promoting the potential of [low-temperature plasma] as a future focal cancer therapy treatment for patients with early stage prostate cancer," Hirst concludes.
The researchers will now look at testing the application of low-temperature plasmas on three-dimensional replica tumors in order to assess the precision of plasma application.
"We believe that with appropriate imaging techniques to facilitate accurate tumor targeting and spare normal tissues, the multifaceted action of [low-temperature plasma] will provide advantages over other focal therapies," state the authors.
The team estimates that if all trials are successful, low-temperature plasma could be used to treat cancer patients in 15 years time.
Recently, Medical News Today reported on a study in which an international consortium of scientists reveals the genetic root of prostate cancers in individual men. Their discovery demonstrates that tumors share common gene faults that could offer new targets for treatment.
Source: Medical Institutions

Sunday 12 April 2015

Erectile Dysfunction Drug, Viagra; Effectiveness, Uses, Side-effects.

Reuters Health) - Viagra is the most effective treatment for erectile dysfunction, but it also has a higher rate of side effects than other options, according to an analysis of more than 150 trials.
Viagra is known generically as sildenafil. Men concerned about possible side effects of Viagra like headaches, flushing, indigestion and nasal congestion may want to start on Cialis, which is known generically as tadalafil, researchers report in European Urology. If that’s not effective, men in some countries can try Zydena (udenafil).

Saturday 11 April 2015

Implement National Health Bill - MDCAN Tells Buhari

Steven Oluwole
President of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association (MDCAN), Steven  Oluwole has advised president  Elect  to undertake a comprehensive  reform of the political structure of the country from the Presidency down to all tiers of government. Oluwole, gave the advice while speaking on the just concluded Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
MDCAN also urged the President-elect to bring his tested integrity to bear by sticking to, and implementing  his campaign promises on corruption, security and revamping the economy. He said, “The phenomenon of the campaign, which centered on the tested integrity of the President-Elect, should not be political device to win election, but the very instrument to govern, and truly reform the culture of ‘government money in government house’, graft, reckless spending, and impunity of public office holders.while speaking on the just concluded presidential/Senate election.
“The political capital gained by the APC-led government should transform the landscape and curb the rot only known in Nigeria, where senators’ annual take-home pay exceed that of the President of the USA. Governors’ security votes, which make mockery of sanity, should be streamlined to reality.
“There must be complete reform from the Presidency to all tiers of government. A fleet of 11 Aircrafts for Nigerian President, if indeed true, is inexplicable and outrageous when the President of the USA officially has one, and the Prime Minister of UK has none. The outragous allocations for meals, diesel and sundries should be scrapped, when the President of the USA pays for his meals.”Oluwole also advised the incoming Buhari led- government not to change in totality all the policies put in place by outgoing government . According to him: “Change must not be wholesale rejection of  the past and present.
“ There must be systematic appraisal of the entire system, which should lead to retention of the good, upgrade of the deficient, and replacement of the repugnant.”
He, however cautioned the Buhari government to resist  the idea of privatizing tertiary health care in the country, as this according to him, will deprive the poor from assessing, affordable,  qualitative and sophisticated health care services. “The questionable, and possibly ill-motivated, drive to privatise tertiary health care should be resisted. Teaching hospitals should not be converted to for-profit Institutions . “Such  conversion will limit the number and category of patients that can receive teaching hospital services to those who have resources to pay.
“They will be robbed of  their traditional values, and hindered from effective teaching,  research, and development of medical services,” the MDCAN president reiterated.
While commenting on the recently concluded presidential elections, Oluwole said that  the elections produced a seismic shift of the political structure and alignments. He, however, warned that  the energy must be harnessed to drive development and progress rather than to drive extinction or annihilation of non-participating or dissenting tribes, ethnic groups, and members of discordant schools of thought.”
The outcome of the election says a lot about the vision and expectation of Nigerians for their country.
“The voting, which was for an ideal,  was not a gift to a party to proceed on triumphal procession, but to get to work and fix a crumbling nation. The territorial integrity of the country, which did not disintegrate as predicted, must be preserved,” he  noted.
Source: Vanguard News.

National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria Part 1 MCQ Screening Exams

The under listed candidates are eligible to continue with the other phase of the Examination as stated in the
Time Table.
 
Names
Examination Number
1.Agboola Ayodeji GbengaAF/001/12/001/577
2.Emmanuel ImeAF/001/13/009/596
3.Udochu IhunanyaAF/001/13/110/597
4.Chime Michael OkwudiliAF/001/13/004/599
5.Adedolapo Haruna LasunAF/001/14/002/641
6.Egbukichi Benjamin ChisomAF/001/14/006/654
7.Azu Jude ChuksAF/001/14/002/656
8.Olayode Eniola RebeccaAF/001/14/120/657
9.Nwoko Innocent IbeawuchiAF/001/14/100/658
10.Ugwu Euphemia MgbosoroAF/001/14/003/663
11.Otegbeye Ajibola UthmanAF/001/14/001/667
12.Olowu Adebambo OlatundeAF/001/14/002/668
13.Madubuko Chukwuma GrantAF/001/14/100/670
14.Nwagwu Godson UmezirikeAF/001/14/110/672
15.Ojediran Olubukola SarahAF/001/15/001/674
16.Mohammed Mohammed JikaAF/001/15/118/675
17.Ali Hassan MainaAF/001/15/118/676
18.Ilesanmi Adedoyin AdunniAF/001/15/001/677
19.Opadola Olukayode AdedayoAF/001/15/152/678
20.Okafor Celestine ChukwumaAF/001/15/004/679
21.Okonkwo Azubuike VenatiusAF/001/15/152/680
22.Muoghalu Christopher ChikaeloAF/001/15/004/681
23.Ilo Doris IfeyinwaAF/001/15/166/682
24.Onyeoji Chinedu PaulinusAF/001/15/006/683
25.Yusuf Tijani MustaphaAF/001/15/011/685
26.Ngadi Benedict OdinakaAF/001/15/001/686
27.Akere Abimdemi DavidAF/001/15/007/687
28.Amlogu Peter MopahAF/001/15/152/688
29.Awah Emmanuel AtemgweyeAF/001/15/009/689
30.Egbulem Chinyere Ogechi T.AF/001/15/100/690
31.Ekwueme Amanna ChineduAF/001/15/009/691
32.Eze Chukwuemeka EjinkeonyeAF/001/15/002/692
33.Fatoba Muyiwa AbayomiAF/001/15/007/693