Health
Nurses demand better work conditions, welfare, as NARD strike persists
Published
5 years agoon
By
News Editor
Nurses have urged the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, improve the welfare and working conditions of health workers in the country for improved services.
They made the call on the heels of the ongoing strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) which has crippled healthcare delivery and access in public hospitals across the country.
The nurses made their demands known at a five-day “Train the Trainer’’ workshop under the National Surgical, Obstetric, Anaesthesia, and Nursing Plan for Nigeria (NSOANP) in partnership with Smile Train in Abuja on Thursday.
Mrs Olubunmi Lawal-Aiyedun, the former President, National Association of Nigerian Pediatric Nurses, said “people are dying; so many things are wrong with the health system.
“I call on government to do the needful, we need to change the narrative and call off the strike.’’
Lawal-Aiyedun, who said that doctors needed to be comfortable to be able to put in their best, added that “it is not easy putting your life on the line daily to ensure the health of others.
“In many hospitals, you find that one nurse is attached to about 30 to 40 patients. There is gross lack of adequate health professionals.’’
She, however, urged nurses to continue to put in their best in delivering a global standard of healthcare.
She said that nurses and midwives used flashlight to take deliveries in some Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs)
“And in some cases where a child is asphyxiated, that is, he or she cannot breathe and needs the aid of medical equipment, such tool is not available.
“In the past, the child is held with the head down and feet up and tapped on the back to get them to breathe
again.Unfortunately, several decades later, this is still being done because the infrastructure and enabling environment are not there.’’
Mrs Blessing Opara, the Assistant Director, Nursing, National Hospital, Abuja, said that the workshop was to freshen the knowledge of nurses in public hospitals to enable them to function optimally.
Opara also said that nurses were working under difficult conditions, saying “instead of nursing four patients, we nurse 20 or more in a shift.
“Manpower is the major challenge that nurses face in providing healthcare today.’’
Mrs Morayo Eboh, a Principal Nursing Officer at Defence Intelligence College, Karu, Abuja, said that the lack of modern equipment was another challenge nurses faced in supporting healthcare delivery.
Eboh, who is also a Critical Care Nurse, called for better communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals and for an end to the protocols that prevent the delivery of emergency healthcare to patients.
She said “you tend to see many nurses improvising due to the lack of medical equipment that should ordinarily be available in health facilities and so they are forced to do the best they can with what is available.
“Synergy and communication among professionals are important when rendering quality care to patients and reducing preventable deaths.
“The process of obtaining a folder during an emergency should be stepped down. I think if we break some of these protocols when it comes to quality care will reduce preventable deaths.’’
Mr Francis Obaje, a Theatre Nurse at Kogi State Specialists Hospital, Lokoja, urged nurses to communicate more with
patients “to change the perception that nurses are heartless and lack passion.
“Let us try to place ourselves in the position of the patients, empathise with them on how they feel, and the new environment they are forced to adjust to.’’
He said that the strike by NARD members had affected the capacity of the healthcare system to deliver care as surgeries among other critical services had reduced or stopped in some facilities.
Mrs Victoria Awazie, the Programme Manager, Smile Train West Africa, said that the workshop was the pilot phase of a collaboration between the organisation and NSOANP for nurses across the 36 states and the FCT.
She said that the training was part of a five-year plan to build the capacity of nurses to improve the quality of care in hospitals.
She added that “when patients come to hospital, their first contacts are nurses. The training will improve the knowledge of nurses on how to deal with patients.
“We are carrying out this training to address the occurrence of sentinel events, that is patients dying in the hospital when aftercare is being administered.
“The training will equip nurses to know what to do when doctors are not available.’’
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that in 2019, the Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) set up NSOANP with a five-year strategic plan to reduce out-of-pocket spending on surgical care by increasing financing.
The plan targets a 35-per cent coverage of surgical care and a health insurance coverage rate of 50 per cent by 2023.
With a 15-per cent increase in budgetary allocation to the health sector by 2023, the Federal Government hopes to strengthen the healthcare system through investment in surgical care to increase productivity.
The NSOANP training was held physically and virtually, with 24 participants in attendance, while about 200 nurses joined virtually. (NAN)
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Health
2 Abuja Doctors, 2 Others Arrested Over Organ Harvesting in Abuja
Published
3 weeks agoon
September 2, 2026
Two medical doctors and two other suspects have been arrested in Abuja for organ harvesting by the Nigerian Police Force in late August 2026. They were arrested for allegedly running an organ harvesting and human trafficking network operating between Abuja and Nasarawa State.
The arrested medical practitioners are Dr. Benjamin Oyime (a 48-year-old kidney consultant) and Dr. Daniel Otukpa (a 53-year-old Acting Director of Clinical Services).
Both nephrologists are linked to Wellington Clinics (Wellington Hospital) in Life Camp, Abuja.
The arrests were executed by the Special Tactical Squad (STS-FID) following an investigation brought to light by social media activist Martins Vincent Otse (popularly known as VeryDarkMan or VDM) and his team.
The victim, a 22-year-old man named Samuel Ezekiel approached the activists after medical scans at independent hospitals verified that his left kidney was missing.
The 23-year-old intermediary, Emmanuel Ode, allegedly confessed to recruiting Ezekiel and bringing him to Wellington Hospital for the illegal surgery.
Investigators report that the victim was manipulated into signing official consent documents under a fake name, “Isa Abubakar”.
It was further revealed that the victim was allegedly paid ₦1.7 million for the kidney, while legal representatives allege that the black-market syndicate resells these harvested organs to wealthy recipients for ₦50 million to ₦70 million.
Activists and lawyers from the Martin Luther King Centre fear that this is not an isolated incident, estimating that more than 10 young Nigerians may have fallen victim to this specific ring.
Following the police raids and public outcry, Wellington Clinics Abuja issued an official statement denying any deliberate involvement in commercialized organ trafficking. Meanwhile, the private facility immediately suspended all kidney transplant and services effective August 31, 2026, while the criminal investigation continues.
NewsBlast recalls that this case reflects previous enforcement actions by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in which it arraigned doctors from Alliance Hospital in Abuja for similar black-market kidney transplants.
Furthermore, under the National Health Act, trading human organs for commercial gain or charging a fee for transplants carries severe criminal penalties in Nigeria.
Health
FG Target 20,000 Yearly Medical Intakes Across Six Geo-political Simulation Centres
Published
3 weeks agoon
August 31, 2026
To counter the rising trend of Nigerian-trained health personnel migrating for greener pastures abroad, the Federal Government is expanding the country’s healthcare workforce and strengthening practical training for medical and other health professional students.
Consequently, it has disclosed plans to increase the annual medical school admissions to 20,000 within the next three years. Along with this is the targeted establishment of world-class medical simulation centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, disclosed this while receiving the report of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Medical Simulation Committee.
This was part of a statement issued on Sunday and signed by Ikharo Attah, the Special Adviser on Media and Communications to the Minister of Education.
Alausa said the proposed centres would provide world-class practical training for medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy and other allied healthcare students. The said:
“I would like to thank the members of the committee that has worked so hard and assiduously to get us to this point in which we are now talking about building several simulation centres across the country to provide world-class training for our medical students, dental students, nursing students, pharmacy students and other allied healthcare professionals.”
Alausa said the expansion had become necessary to meet the country’s health needs.
He disclosed that nursing enrolment, which stood at about 38,000 three years ago, had risen to more than 120,000 students across nursing schools in the country.
The minister added that annual admission into medical schools had increased from about 5,000 students when Tinubu assumed office to almost 12,000 currently.
“Today, I’m happy to report that we’re admitting almost 12,000 students. Our goal in the next three years will be to increase the number of annual medical student enrolment in medical schools to about 20,000.”
He added that the number of students admitted into pharmacy and dental schools had also increased.
The minister commended the Chairman of the Medical Simulation Committee, Dr Wale Suleiman, and other members for their work in preparing the report and advancing plans for the centres.
He said the initiative would help ensure that the increasing number of students entering healthcare professions received adequate practical training.
The planned expansion comes against the backdrop of persistent concerns over the migration, popularly known as “Japa,” of Nigerian doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals seeking better remuneration, working conditions and career opportunities abroad.
The migration of health workers has raised concerns among professional bodies and health-sector stakeholders about its impact on Nigeria’s already strained healthcare system, particularly shortages of skilled personnel in public hospitals.
With the proposed simulation centres, the government is seeking to expand training capacity while improving the quality of practical education for a growing pool of health professional students.
Health
Best way to Eat Fruit is on Empty Stomach — Prof. Ken Anugweje
Published
3 weeks agoon
August 29, 2026
This will open your eyes to the full benefits of eating fruits!
*Prof Anugweje has been treating terminal ill Cancer patients by an *”unorthodox” way and many patients recover. He is also a sports medicine specialist.*
He insists that all athletes eat fruits on empty stomach.
Before he used solar energy to clear the illnesses of his patients, he believes on natural healing in the body against illnesses. See his article below.
It is one of the strategies to heal cancer. As of late, my success rate in curing Cancer is about 80%.
Cancer patients shouldn’t die. The cure for cancer is already found – it’s in the way we eat fruits.
It is whether you believe it or not.
I am sorry for the hundreds of Cancer patients who die under the conventional treatments.*
*EATING FRUITS*
We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths.
It’s not as easy as you think. It’s important to know how and when to eat the fruits.
*What is the correct way of eating fruits?*
*IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS!*
FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH:*
If you eat fruits on empty stomach, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.*
*FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD.*
Let’s say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit.
*The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so due to the bread taken before the fruit.*
In the meantime, the whole meal of bread & fruit rots and ferments and turns to acid.
The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.
*So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals!*
You have heard people complaining :
Every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet, etc.. etc..
*Actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach.*
The fruit mixes with the putrefying of other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat !
*Greying hair, balding, nervous outburst and dark circles under the eyes all these will NOT happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.*
*There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter.*
If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the SECRET of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight.
When you need to drink fruit juice – drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans, packs or bottles.
*Don’t even drink juice that has been heated up.*
*Don’t eat cooked fruits because you don’t get the nutrients at all.*
You only get its taste.
Cooking destroys all the vitamins.
But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice.
If you should drink the fresh fruit juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.
*You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse or detoxify your body.*
*Just eat fruits and drink fresh fruit juice throughout the 3 days.*
And you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look !
*KIWI fruit:*
Tiny but mighty.
This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.
*APPLE:*
An apple a day keeps the doctor away?
Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke.
*STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit:*
Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging and free radicals.
*ORANGE: Sweetest medicine.*
Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.
*WATERMELON:*
Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system.
They are also a key source of lycopene the cancer fighting oxidant.
Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium.
*GUAVA & PAPAYA:*
Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.
Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation.
Papaya (pawpaw) is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes.
*Drinking COLD water or drinks after a meal = CANCER.*
Can you believe this ?
For those who like to drink cold water or cold drinks, this article is applicable to you.
It is not nice to have a cup of cold water or cold drinks after a meal.
However, the cold or drinks will solidify the oily stuff that you have just eaten.
It will slow down the digestion.
Once this ‘sludge’ reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food.
It will line the intestine.
*Very soon, this will turn into FATS and lead to CANCER!*
*It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.*
*Let’s be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.*
Prof Ken Anugweje, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
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