Asaba Specialist Hospital conducts free health screening for staff


The Management of Asaba Specialist Hospital has conducted a comprehensive health screening programme for its staff to promote the well-being of the hospital’s workforce.

Dr Peace Ighosewe, the Chief Medical Director of Asaba Specialist Hospital, who spoke during the exercise in Asaba, said it was designed to ensure that all staff benefitted from the same services offered to patients.

She said that the management prioritised the health and well-being of its staff as the screening was aimed at boosting their morale and productivity as well as commemorating this year’s World Day for Safety and Health at Work.

The screening included medical tests such as fasting lipid profile, electrocardiogram (ECG), eye screening, diabetes screening, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) Test and Breast Self-Examination demonstration.

There was also a lecture series and a staff workout exercise unveiled on May 4, which will henceforth be held on a bimonthly basis.

Ighosewe expressed gratitude to the Gov. Sheriff Oborevwori-led a
dministration for prioritising the welfare of healthcare workers in Delta State and creating conducive environment for the hospital to flourish.

She also extended her appreciation to the Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr Joseph Onojaeme, for his support and approval of the project.

Ighosewe advised other hospitals to emulate the gesture; showing love and care for their workers’ health and well-being.

She said it would encourage staff to work better and increase harmony among team members.

Dr Ngozi Onwueme, a Consultant Cardiologist, commended the management for organising the exercise, stating that many staff members who benefitted were carrying out the tests for the first time.

She said that new diagnoses were made and treatment had commenced for some staff members.

Staff members who participated in the programme expressed their appreciation for the initiative, which showed that the hospital cared about their well-being.

Ogala Priscilla, a staff member, laude the management for the initiative.

‘I want to thank the management for this thoughtful screening exercise; we appreciate their efforts,’ she said.

Ngozi Ossai, a cleaner at the hospital, said she was delighted to be a beneficiary of the medical screening.

‘I want to thank the management for including me in the screening; I am very grateful,’ she said.

On his part, Azubuike Aweni, thanked the management for looking after the well-being of staff members.

‘I want to thank the hospital for this kind gesture, most especially the Medical Director, Dr Peace Ighosewe, for her thoughtfulness,” he said.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

NMA reacts to arrest of alleged fake doctor in Lagos


The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has commended the Nigerian Police Force for arresting an alleged fake medical doctor, saying it would strengthen its fight against quackery in the medical profession.

Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, Chairman, NMA Lagos, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.

Olowojebutu noted that medical quackery was a dangerous practice that posed a threat to the wellbeing of citizens and delivery of quality healthcare in the state, and country.

‘The arrest is a welcome development to the health sector; we would expose these quacks and ensure that Lagos does not suffer further morbidity and mortality from their nefarious activities.

‘We are glad that our work on anti-quackery has started yielding progress as we are determined to weed out quacks from the medical profession,’ he said.

The chairman pledged that NMA Lagos, with support of the Ministry of Health, Health Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA), and the Police, would eradicate
quacks from the state.

He said that the association would hold an Anti-Quackery Summit soon, after which it would present a white paper to the Lagos State Government on anti-quackery.

Olowojebutu warned hospitals to refrain from employing staff whose certificates and licenses had not been verified by the MDCN toward safeguarding the health of the populace.

NAN reports that the Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, on May 7, announced its arrest of a 37-year-old medical practitioner, with suspected forged certificates at Skylink Medical Centre, Elepe-Ikorodu.

The police said it arrested the suspect who claimed to be the Managing Director of the health facility based on intelligence gathered by the command through members of the Elepe community concerning the activities of the suspect.

It said it recovered two suspected forged certificates of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State and Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) after conducting a search of the facility.

It further revealed that
the hospital complex had been sealed, pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria

‘People insult us at our offices over water’: Tuukondjele


The head of rural water supply in the Oshikoto Region, Stevenson Tuukondjele, has said people are becoming increasingly agitated over a lack of access to water and insult them when visiting the ministry offices due to these challenges.

Tuukondjele said in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday that several people from Eengodi, Okankolo, Nehale Lyampingana, and some Omuthiya areas have a tendency to approach their offices and insult them because of the ongoing water scarcity.

‘These people come to our offices requesting us to give them clean water on a regular basis, with their bottles filled with dirty water from traditional wells or any other source of water they get water from, and then throw hard words at us,’ said Tuukondjele.

He said regardless of the efforts of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) in installing boreholes in several parts of the constituencies, there is a need to intensify their efforts to install and drill more boreholes in the region before it gets worse by July.

‘We appreciate the government efforts in trying to install boreholes but we need it to speed so we can install more boreholes and desalination plants at salty boreholes,’ explained Tuukondjele.

He added that this year’s low rainfall has also contributed heavily to the water challenge in the region.

‘Our Calueque water system could not provide sufficient water because it is getting old, but we are also aware of the government programmes to rehabilitate the pipeline between Ondangwa and Omutsegonime,’ said Tuukondjele.

He advised that the government should make contingency plans to assist the constituencies by delivering an emergency water tanker to the communities in the region.

‘Some communities travel over 20 kilometres to get access to water in areas like Okankolo and the Eengodi Constituency,’ he reported.

MAWLR has drilled over 30 boreholes in the region but almost half of them are not safe for human and animal consumption because of a high number of salt content.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Shadikongoro Green Scheme set to produce sunflower oil


The Shadikongoro Irrigation Green Scheme Project in the Kavango East Region generated an income of N.dollars 7 million, of which N.dollars 3.5 million was recorded as profit, during the 2023 cropping season.

This was revealed by the Executive Director (ED) in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform (MAWLR) Ndiyakupi Nghituwamata during a visit by the ministry’s top management to the green scheme on Monday.

‘I am impressed with Shadikongoro Green Scheme’s performance in the last cropping season. They made a total of N.dollars 7 million, of which N.dollars 3.5 million is their profit. This will not be the first and last,’ she said.

Nghituwamata said this year she expects cooking oil in the market made from sunflowers planted at the green scheme, adding that 24 hectares of sunflowers were planted at the project to revive the sunflower processing facility.

In addition to the 24 hectares that are being harvested at the Shadikongoro Green Scheme Irrigation Project, another 16 hectares of sunflowers a
re being harvested at the Sikondo Green Scheme Irrigation Project in the Kavango West Region, which it supplies to Shadikongoro.

‘The plan is to process the sunflower seeds into cooking oil at the Shadikongoro processing plant on the farm. We started harvesting the sunflowers on 06 May 2024 and processing of the sunflower seeds will start thereafter,’ Nghituwamata noted.

Shadikongoro Green Scheme employed 60 temporary workers to harvest the sunflowers, and more workers will be employed temporarily to work at the oil processing plant, she indicated.

The ED was accompanied by directors such as Dr Elijah Ngurare, Albertina Shilongo, Petrus Nangolo and Messag Mulunga, as well as a representative from the United Nations World Food Programme, Sem Mandela.

Meanwhile, during her 2024/25 budget motivation of the Agriculture Ministry, Deputy Minister Anna Shiweda said that during the 2023/2024 financial year, MAWLR received N.dollars 120 million which was used for the repair and maintenance of ageing irrigation inf
rastructure, procurement of new tractors and implements at government operated green schemes.

During the 2024/25 financial year, an amount of N.dollars 65 million has been allocated to the green scheme projects, which is a 54 per cent reduction from the last allocation of N.dollars 120 million.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

‘Poor People’s Organisation’ holds peaceful demonstration at Opuwo


The ‘Poor People’s Organisation’ held a peaceful protest in Opuwo on Tuesday, challenging President Nangolo Mbumba to enhance citizens’ confidence in the government and provide once-off assistance of N.dollars 5 000 to each unemployed person.

The group, led by its chairperson Dirk Kavandiimuine Makove, made their voices heard when they delivered their petition to the Kunene regional governor’s office.

Makove said impoverished people encounter rejection when looking for work and are referred to as being uneducated.

‘The organisation also believes the government to be biased. This is one way in which the government favours the rich and dignified while limiting the upward mobility of destitute people,’ he said.

The poor, he said, have long been deprived of sanitary water supply and decent electricity supply and called for the nationalisation of natural resources.

‘We are requesting that our natural resources such as minerals, fish and many others be locally furnished only within the borders of Namibia and t
hat outside counterparts only buy directly from us… this will enable us all as a country to sell our locally produced minerals at a great price to the outsiders,’ he said.

According to Makove, the group is not affiliated with any political body and was founded to represent all underprivileged Namibians.

The petition was received by Kunene Regional Council Control Administrative Officer Gabes Kavetu who asked the group to be patient. He said the government is well aware of the challenges Namibians face and is working on methods to address them.

He pledged to forward the petition to the appropriate authority for review.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

‘Poor People’s Organisation’ holds peaceful demonstration at Opuwo


The ‘Poor People’s Organisation’ held a peaceful protest in Opuwo on Tuesday, challenging President Nangolo Mbumba to enhance citizens’ confidence in the government and provide once-off assistance of N.dollars 5 000 to each unemployed person.

The group, led by its chairperson Dirk Kavandiimuine Makove, made their voices heard when they delivered their petition to the Kunene regional governor’s office.

Makove said impoverished people encounter rejection when looking for work and are referred to as being uneducated.

‘The organisation also believes the government to be biased. This is one way in which the government favours the rich and dignified while limiting the upward mobility of destitute people,’ he said.

The poor, he said, have long been deprived of sanitary water supply and decent electricity supply and called for the nationalisation of natural resources.

‘We are requesting that our natural resources such as minerals, fish and many others be locally furnished only within the borders of Namibia and t
hat outside counterparts only buy directly from us… this will enable us all as a country to sell our locally produced minerals at a great price to the outsiders,’ he said.

According to Makove, the group is not affiliated with any political body and was founded to represent all underprivileged Namibians.

The petition was received by Kunene Regional Council Control Administrative Officer Gabes Kavetu who asked the group to be patient. He said the government is well aware of the challenges Namibians face and is working on methods to address them.

He pledged to forward the petition to the appropriate authority for review.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency