The Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has called on Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi to reverse the ‘current internal drift’ of doctors and other healthcare workers in the state.    The association made the appeal in a statement issued to newsmen in Lokoja on Monday by the state NMA Chairman, Dr Kabiru Zubair.

This followed the exit of 88 medical doctors from the state public service. The association however felicitated with the governor on the celebration of his third year anniversary in office and for making healthcare one of his five thematic areas.

The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has called for cooperation among relevant agencies for effective control of drug abuse among Nigerian youths.  

Prof. Moji Adeyeye, the Director General (DG), NAFDAC, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Abuja. Adeyeye said that such cooperation would go a long way towards effectively tackling the different aspects of drug abuse among youths.

Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State has said that the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Katsina, will be upgraded to a teaching hospital to bring quality healthcare service to the people.  

He said that the state government was also working with the federal authorities to convert the Daura General Hospital to a Federal Medical Centre (FMC). Masari spoke at the palace of Galadiman Daura and District Head of Maiadua, Ahmed Dadiri Ahmed, during the continuation of his re-election campaign in Daura Senatorial District.  

Residents of Ondo state have been thrown into a pandemonium due to an outbreak of Lassa fever in one of its communities. In fact, the disease is said to have killed about 50 people already, throwing many residents into a panic mood.  

Reports from the Federal Medical center in Owo states that efforts to contain the spread of the disease by the state government have proven futile so far. while speaking to newsmen, one of the workers at the hospital explained that the situation has gotten out of control and the facility can no longer contain the number those who had fallen ill as a result of the outbreak.

The Joint Health Sector Unions (JOHESU) said it has exhausted the 15 days ultimatum given to the Federal government to look into the plights of its member union and will withdraw its services across federal and state hospitals.

The leadership of JOHESU said it is currently engaging its wider unions to be fully prepared for any eventuality through a meeting which will proceed the full-scale strike. 

The World Health Organisation says an estimated 116,000 new cases of cancer and 41,000 cancer-related deaths were recorded in Nigeria in 2018. The WHO Official In Charge of Nigeria, Clement Peter, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists in Abuja at an event held in commemoration of the World Cancer Day.

Mr Peter blamed the alarming figures on the increased intake of tobacco and alcohol, and the unhealthy lifestyles of people in the country.

The Joint Health Sector Union on Monday issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet its demands.   Mr Josiah Biobelemoye, the National Chairman of the union, said this at a warning rally organised by the union in collaboration with the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, among other stakeholders, to drive home the challenges bedevilling the health sector in Abuja.  

Biobelemoye noted that the seven days ultimatum, effective from February 4, was given due to the intervention of clerics and their love for the Nigerian populace. “We decided to seek God’s intervention by reporting our offenders to him. Last Friday, we attended the Juma’at prayers while on Sunday we attended Church Service.

Lassa fever and cerebrospinal meningitis (CSM) have claimed 26 lives and infected 88 others in 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), in its report, captioned Week 04 (January 21 – 27, 2019), 77 new cases of the fever were recorded in 13 states and Abuja.

Nigeria, Africa’s largest country, is in dire need of doctors to meet the health needs of its citizens, official statistics show.

Only one medical doctor is available to cater for every 4,845 Nigerians, the official data sourced by PREMIUM TIMES show.

Civil society groups working on tobacco control in Nigeria on Thursday called for firm enforcement of the National Tobacco Act which prohibits the sale of tobacco to minors.

They made the call in Abuja at the public presentation of the Tobacco Sales Violation report. The report shows a worrying level of Tobacco sales to minors (people under the age of 18) in Nigeria.