Health
LASUTH, EAPAN to Hold Webinar for Workers’ Psyche
The Coronavirus pandemic, in the last few months since it hit the shores of Nigeria, has been bravely fought by the medical profession in the country.
The bravery and resilience of health workers, most especially the frontline personnel, has put them at great risk as many have tested positive. Worse still, some have been isolated.
Majority of these isolated healthcare workers have recovered while some deaths have been recorded. Despite the limiting factors such as limited availability of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), especially at the point when local infection rate began to soar, the health workers which include doctors, nurses, hospital attendants, pharmacists, phlebotomist amongst others still braced the odds to abide by their calling.
This bravery, however, has had its attendant toll on the psyche of a large number of health workers. Based on this premise, the management of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) in collaboration with Employee Assistance Professionals Association of Nigeria (EAPAN) decided to create awareness for a platform to address some of these afore-mentioned issues.
Tagged ‘COVID-19 Psychological Support Awareness for LASUTH Staff’, the project is expected to help attend to health workers who might need certain levels of psychological evaluation in order to help them cope with the anxieties and realities being faced during this pandemic.
Recently, a stakeholder’s webinar was held via zoom to fully intimate all parties involved on how this process will work.
The President of EAPAN, Dr Marcel Nwaogu, left no stone unturned as he succinctly explained how the procedures would play out.
He said the resilience and strength of health workers have been greatly tested and many need a strong support system to wake up every day and still believe that they can go to the hospital to help save lives.
While explaining the modus operandi, Dr Marcel noted that the platform is rendering a 24-hour confidential call-in service for whoever needs to speak to a professional psychologist for free. Where there might be a need for further consultations for those who need secondary care, they will be referred to the Department of Behavioural Sciences in LASUTH.
The Head of Department Behavioural Sciences, LASUTH, Dr Atilola, pointed out that it is becoming a common knowledge that health workers are already in desperate need of help and that the platform is a creative way to help them bare their mind on whatever they are going through.
He pointed out that due to the familiarity among the health workers in the hospital, many may not be willing to fully share their fears but the platform will help them get adequate counsel and privacy as required. He also noted with appreciation that having workers to speak with the professionals is a form of “psychological triage (first aid) and that would greatly reduce the number of patients that would be seen physically, which means that, we would consult only with those who would need further evaluation.” He promised that his department is committed to ensuring that the programme works.
The Chief Medical Director of LASUTH, Prof. Adetokunbo Fabamwo made an important note that the management of the hospital also had to go through a lot of psychological pressure, most especially being burdened by the safety of staff; worrying and hoping for a no-mortality rate among staff; taking deliberate steps to shut down clinics despite the fact that it was against all odds.
The CMD also mentioned that management has been ensuring timely provision of PPE despite the cut-throat prices and scarcity. He made note that it was a tough call trying to protect staff and at the same time creating available means to provide treatment for urgent matters.
The well-attended webinar had participants from different departments which include the clinical and non-clinical units in the hospital. Many of the participants were able to share their challenges, ranging from the anxiety of being tested and isolated due to the exposure; dealing with panic, fear and anxiety among colleagues.
Dr Femi Olugbile, an Ex Officio of EAPAN, who also moderated the webinar, was hopeful that with all hands on deck, the programme will go a long way in helping frontline health workers maintain their sanity and resilience to keep on carrying out their assignments.
The webinar which was rated as highly interactive level by the participants ended with a vote of thanks from Dr Ibrahim Mustafa, the Director of Clinical Services and Training, LASUTH.
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.
