Health
2nd Kuwait Int’l Health Safety & Environment Confab Gathers Momentum
By Dipo Olowookere
The second annual edition of the Kuwait International Health Safety and Environment Conference and Exhibition (2nd KIHSE – 2017) is drawing an increased interest from local and international public and private sectors, and consolidating its position as the leading HSE event in the Arab Gulf region.
The event, which is an initiative by the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) and its subsidiaries, will take place on February 15 and 16, 2017 in the Regency Hotel and Conference Centre in Kuwait City. It will be held under the main theme, ‘Meeting the Challenges Ahead’.
According to KPC, “The 2nd KIHSE-2017 will be an official platform for exchanging ideas, developing new business and consolidating strategies, standards and policies for the future. It will be building on the success of the inaugural edition of the conference (KIHSE-2015) which was held in February 2015 and hosted more than 700 delegates from over 180 regional and international companies across 27 countries.”
The 2nd KIHSE-2017 has equally attracted a huge interest from the oil industry in Kuwait and the GCC region, as well as other business sectors. It has become a major drive for HSE awareness across all economic and social activities in the country, creating a culture of commitment to a healthy, safe and environment friendly society.
On the other hand, the conference and exhibition is attracting a growing number of specialized companies and innovative businesses because of the opportunities it presents within the lucrative market of Kuwait, one of the biggest oil producers in the world.
With real value, insight into the key areas and excellent business opportunities, 700 delegates and dozens of speakers from all over the world are expected to join the conference, along with a large number of exhibitors and sponsors. Hundreds of local, regional and international companies, government agencies and organizations, including major international oil companies (IOCs) will be represented.
A large number of internationally renowned experts will gather to give their insight and support Kuwait’s efforts to develop its resources.
Leading the confirmed conference speakers are Anas Al Saleh, Deputy Prime Minister and Acting Oil Minister, Kuwait; Nizar Al-Adsani, Chief Executive Officer, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation; Mohammad Husain, President and CEO, EQUATE; John Raine, Vice President, QHSSE, Weatherford, Houston, USA; Mohammad Ghazi Al Mutairi, Chief Executive Officer, KNPC, Kuwait; Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah, CEO, KUFPEC, Kuwait; Brent Pasula, Senior Vice President, HSSE, Petrofac, Dubai, UAE; Sergey Peresypkin, Director HSE, Baker Hughes, Dubai, UAE; Eamonn Naughton, Group Head of Operational Risk, Process Safety Engineering & HSE, BP UK; Justin Hughes, Managing Director, Mission Excellence, UK; Steven Flynn, HSE Expert and Former Head of Group Safety & Operational Risk, BP, UK amongst others.
The 2nd KIHSE-2017 will be an official platform for exchanging ideas, developing new business and consolidating strategies, standards and policies for the future
The conference programme includes three plenary sessions on the first day. On the second day, the conference will include three themed tracks for Health, Safety and Environment. The main objective is to provide an in depth coverage of the key topics related to the strategic and technical development of a sustainable HSE culture.
The plenary sessions will focus on the HSE management practices and strategies in general and will provide a platform to discuss strategic topics like HSE and Sustainability; Toward a cleaner and safer industry; Investing in HSE.
The three other tracks will provide a set of sessions with highly strategic topics presented by major international experts in the HSE field. The sessions in the Safety track will cover Compromised for cost optimization – a practice to avoid; Ensuring an effective fire safety strategy; Fundamentals that define safety.
Sessions in the Health track will discuss a number of occupational health and public health themes like Investment in health for long-term sustainability; Increasing profitability through enhanced employee wellbeing; Preparing for the worst, planning for the best.
The Environment track will focus on the latest and most modern measures and practices used to promote awareness toward ecological issues like COP21 and its impact on the oil and gas industry;
Looking after our coasts; Managing water and waste water resources.
Participants are expected to include, in addition to KPC and its subsidiaries, a large number of international and regional oil and gas companies, regional national oil companies, HSE consultants and suppliers; oil and gas service providers, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions.
Additionally, the 2nd KIHSE conference, will be conducting several activities that aim to inform and educate students and younger members of the audience about the advantages of having proactive and forward-leaning HSE policies and effective management systems, according to KPC sources.
An adjacent specialized exhibition will showcase the latest in HSE technologies and services. This exhibition will boast national, regional and international companies, providing them with the opportunity to present their latest products and services.
The 2nd KIHSE-2017 is an initiative by KPC, and is organised in collaboration with Global Events Partners Ltd (GEP), a major UK-based event management company affiliated to the dmg::events network.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says the number of Nigerians enrolled in health insurance has risen to more than 22 million.
The Director-General of NHIA, Mr Kelechi Ohiri, said this resulted from the implementation of the mandatory health insurance, which has gained momentum nationwide.
He said this on Wednesday at the Annual General Meeting of the Nigerian Association of Insurance and Pension Editors (NAIPE) in Lagos.
Mr Ohiri said enrolment had increased to 22.03 million, representing a 35 per cent year-on-year growth, attributing this to stronger collaboration with state social health insurance agencies, ministries, departments and agencies, organised labour, employers, the private sector, and the gradual implementation of the mandatory health insurance provisions of the NHIA Act.
He said that the country had moved beyond policy formulation to delivering measurable improvements in healthcare access, service quality and consumer protection in line with the federal government’s health sector reform agenda.
According to him, Nigeria already has the necessary policies and legislation to achieve Universal Health Coverage, positing that the key challenge was effective implementation.
“The decisive variable is now implementation- consistent, rigorous and accountable execution that converts political commitment into healthcare access for real Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Ohiri said that the transition from the former National Health Insurance Scheme to the NHIA had strengthened regulation, consumer protection, accountability and strategic purchasing, while providing the legal and operational framework for achieving Universal Health Coverage.
He added that improving the experience of enrollees remained central to the Authority’s reform agenda.
According to him, NHIA has strengthened its complaints management system, introduced faster resolution timelines, and intensified compliance monitoring of Health Maintenance Organisations (HMOs) and healthcare providers.
He further added that NHIA had sanctioned facilities that failed to meet the required standards, adding that his organisation had resolved 3,878 complaints, representing an 87 per cent resolution rate, while 95 per cent of the cases were concluded within prescribed timelines.
Mr Ohiri noted that more than N14.2 million had been refunded to enrollees, while non-compliant healthcare facilities had been sanctioned.
He said NHIA had also introduced service standards, including a one-hour treatment commencement target for enrollees requiring urgent care, to improve access to timely and quality healthcare services.
The NHIA boss further disclosed that capitation payments to healthcare providers had been increased by 93 per cent.
He said fee-for-service reimbursements rose by 378 per cent to enable providers to invest more in personnel, equipment and infrastructure.
According to him, 7,592 healthcare facilities have been assessed under the SafeCare quality framework as part of efforts to institutionalise continuous quality improvement across the country.
Mr Ohiri also highlighted interventions targeted at vulnerable groups, including support for more than 48,500 pregnant women, expanded maternal and newborn healthcare services, the Vulnerable Group Fund, and improved access to healthcare for pensioners and retirees.
He said Universal Health Coverage could only be achieved if every Nigerian, regardless of income or location, had access to quality healthcare services.
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The new one-hour authorisation response time ultimatum policy introduced by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has received the full backing of SUNU Health Nigeria Limited.
This policy was introduced by the agency to ensure enrollees get prompt approval codes to access care.
Healthcare service providers have been urged to report any Health Maintenance Organisation (HMO) that violates this initiative through an email, with the HMO in copy and a timestamp attached as evidence of the request. They may proceed to offer services to enrollees thereafter.
Speaking at the company’s second-quarter Providers’ Forum for the Lagos-Ogun region in Lagos recently, the chief executive of SUNU Health, Dr Moyosore Olomola, expressed optimism that this policy would improve healthcare delivery in the country, especially for enrollees, who crave quality service.
At the event themed Improving Quality and Access to Care Through Stronger Provider Network, and held at the Nigerian Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) in Yaba, Lagos, Mr Olomola reaffirmed the HMO’s commitment to operating within legal and operational frameworks to guarantee adequate care for enrollees.
“Access to care and quality of care remain key priorities in our healthcare systems. We know quite well that deliberate collaboration, strategic partnerships, and a shared commitment to excellence are required to achieve these priorities.
“A strong provider network is doubtless the backbone of any effective healthcare system. It ensures that our mutual enrollees receive the right care, at the right time, in the right place, and at the right price,” Mr Olomola, represented at the programme by the organisation’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Dr Faith Nwachi, stated.
He further assured that SUNU Health would strictly adhere to the one-hour authorisation limit, stressing that this aligns seamlessly with one of the organisation’s core values—promptness and its corporate slogan, Humanity is the centre of our initiatives.
In a bid to further improve access and quality of care, SUNU Health also demonstrated its new operational software and Mobile app, aptly named SUNU Legacy.
Also speaking at the event, the NHIA Lagos State Coordinator (Ikeja), Dr Bethuel-Kasimu Abraham, noted that the forum’s expected outcome is to significantly reduce delays in accessing medical care.
Other key expectations include ensuring continuity of care, improving patient outcomes, and strengthening accountability among HMOs.
Addressing specific pain points faced by enrollees, the NHIA Ogun State Coordinator, Mr Dare Adefeso, acknowledged that the agency had received complaints regarding out-of-stock drugs and the discrimination of enrollees by certain providers.
He affirmed that the NHIA is actively addressing these issues, stressing that moving forward, every facility must ensure enrollees are properly catered to regardless of their status, provided they have an active health insurance plan.
Corroborating the long-standing legacy of SUNU Health, the Ogun State Director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Aishat Tiamiyu, shared that her agency is responsible for public information dissemination and has been enrolled with SUNU Health for over 25 years.
Commending the HMO’s stellar service over two decades, she called for the immediate enrollment of new NOA staff into the scheme.
The Providers’ Forum remains one of the strategic channels employed by SUNU Health to consistently engage healthcare providers, understand their operational challenges, introduce new software updates, and solidify partnerships aimed at fostering premium healthcare delivery across Nigeria.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has announced the recall of a sexual enhancement product known as WAP Sensual Enhancement Capsules.
In a statement on Monday, the Nigerian agency disclosed that the recall is due to “undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients” in the product, whose country of origin is unknown, but is marketed and distributed online in the US through eBay.
It was emphasised that the recall is being “voluntarily” made by the manufacturer, Best Supplements Best Prices Company.
The detection of the undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients was made by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Laboratory analysis by the US FDA revealed that the product contained undeclared sildenafil, tadalafil, and flibanserin, which were not mentioned on the product label. Such substances may include phosphodiesterase type-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors or related compounds commonly used for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, the statement by NAFDAC stated.
Sildenafil and tadalafil are ingredients in FDA-approved prescription drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction.
It was noted that these undeclared ingredients may interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs, such as nitroglycerin, and may lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. Consumers with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease often take nitrates.
Flibanserin is the active ingredient in an FDA-approved prescription drug used to treat low sexual desire in women. Flibanserin can cause drowsiness, sedation, dangerously low blood pressure, and fainting, especially when combined with alcohol.
Consumers have been encouraged to report compromised products (medicines or medical devices) to the nearest NAFDAC office, call 0800-162-3322, or send an email to sf******@********ov.ng.
