By Modupe Gbadeyanka
The Nigerian government has been advised to adopt telemedicine in order to enhance healthcare and cushion the effect of the shortage of doctors in the country.
This was the suggestion made by an expert in the medical field, Dr Olujimi Coker, the CEO of Lagoon Hospital, when he spoke at the third edition of the monthly webinar organised by the management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja.
The doctor, while speaking on the topic Telemedicine in the Post-COVID Era, explained how telemedicine has assisted in the treatment of patients during this pandemic and how effective it has been.
He, however, gave the hurdles to achieving tele-health as poor network, data privacy/confidentiality and many other impediments giving ethical consideration and documentation.
He implored the audience to note that the back-end of tele-health management is as important as the front-end in order to create a seamless provision of care.
Another expert at the event, Dr Imo Umoh, explained the service design, patient flow, staffing and training, treatment pathways, follow-up and rehabilitation, using his hospital as case study.
Dr Umoh is the Consultant, Respiratory Physician at the Northampton General Hospital, England, and speaking on the Management of COVID-19: Insights from a UK Hospital emphasised that all units in the hospital must work together as a team in order to defeat the deadly virus.
He finished his session by saying that team-work gave the medical profession a better understanding of how to handle the virus.
In the concluding presentation, Prof. Frank Chinegwundoh, a Consultant Urologist at Barts Health NHS Trust, London, revealed that there is no association between COVID-19 and erectile dysfunction as he extensively spoke on the topic COVID Era & Erectile Dysfunction; Any Association?
He further explained that erectile dysfunction has many causes ranging from stress, depression, excess alcohol, tobacco and other factors, maintaining that COVID-19 is not transmitted through sexual intercourse.
During his remarks, the Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo, said that LASUTH as a tertiary health facility in the epic centre during this pandemic believes that it has the responsibility of information dissemination through series like this.
“We believe that with our core of expertise, we are in a highly placed position to seek for speakers to share information on the variety of issues concerning the COVID-19 experience,” he said.
The Director of Clinical Services and Training at LASUTH, Dr Ibrahim Mustafa, noted that the event was put together to continually sensitize staff of the institution and the general public on COVID-19 and related issues.
Adedapo Adesanya 
Aduragbemi Omiyale