The Ogun State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Babatunde Ipaye, has said residents with eye problems will soon get free surgery and  glasses. Ipaye spoke at the kick off of a free eye surgery programme organised by The Collectives at Sagamu, Ogun State.

He said residents with cataract and glaucoma would be treated free. Ipaye said over 20,000 residents had benefited from a social health insurance scheme called Araya, where the government takes care  of the less-privileged. He noted that about 24 health centres in the private and public sectors had already enlisted in the scheme, adding that the government pays the premium monthly.

A civil society group under the auspices of Civil Society Group for Good Governance (CSGGG) has urged the federal government to introduce universal health care scheme for all Nigerians.universal health care scheme is a health care system that provides health care and financial protection to all citizens of a particular country.

Addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday, on an independent assessment of University Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) as a pilot site for takeoff of universal health advocacy in the country, the president, CSGGG, Comrade Dominic Ogakwu stressed that the importance of universal health care cannot be overemphasized as there are empirical evidence that the health of a nation significantly enhances its economic development, and vice versa.

As part of efforts to boost healthcare industries beyond the shores of Nigeria and Africa, the Informa Life Sciences Exhibitions has concluded plans for the grand return of the Medic West Africa Show 2017.

The Medic West Africa Show, described as the largest and most prestigious healthcare industry event in the region, and scheduled to hold from October 11 to October 13, 2017 at Landmark Centre, lagos, Nigeria, will host over 300 leading healthcare companies and thousands of industry experts and professionals. The event, sponsored by many trade associations and government agencies such as the Ministry of Health, Healthcare Federation of Nigeria and the Society for Quality in Healthcare in Nigeria (SQHN), will showcase thousands of the latest healthcare labouratory and IVD Technology, products and services, as well as provide some exceptional networking opportunities for dealers and distributors, buyers, labouratory experts and clinicians.

Kano state government has distributed drugs, malaria test kits and treated mosquito nets worth over N350m to 748 healthcare facilities across the 44 local government areas of the state. It also engaged the services of 1000 sanitation workers and procured 11 motorized fumigation machines for regular fumigation of the environment against mosquitoes.

Speaking yesterday during the distribution of the materials at the government house, Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje charged the public on cleanliness saying it is the only way to guard against infection by malaria parasite.

Obstetric fistula is the abnormal hole that forms in the vagina caused by prolonged, obstructed labour during childbirth. Teaching hospitals and federal medical centres will be required to waive surgery charges and laboratory test fees for women who present for fistula treatment, health minister Isaac Adewole said in Ogoja, Cross River at the start of the latest pooled repair women living with the condition.

Speaking on behalf of the minister, Ogunmayi Peters, national coordinator of fistula care at the federal health ministry, said: "The letter has been signed and is being dispatched right now to all the teaching hospitals and Federal Medical Centres.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr Osagie Ehanire has said there is urgent need to review actions taken before and during the outbreak of Lassa fever so as to improve the country’s level of preparedness and response to epidemic outbreaks.

He disclosed this on Monday in Abuja at the 2016/2017 Lassa Fever Outbreak After Action Review and Preparedness meeting held to review and strengthen the preparedness and response measures of Nigeria to combat Lassa fever.