Health
O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation Treats 5,000, Conducts 132 Surgeries at 38th Free Medical Mission
No fewer than 5,000 men, women and children received treatment during the 38th Free Medical Mission (FMM) of the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation (OBLBF).
The medical mission featuring counselling/health education, outpatient consultations, general surgeries, paediatric care and dental care, was held at the Model Primary Healthcare Centre, Ikuru Town, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State from April 17 to 21, 2023.
Other services rendered during the mission were vision care (including glasses and surgery), malaria testing and treatment, HIV/AIDs screening, physiotherapy, and an onsite pharmacy and laboratory.
The Foundation’s medical team conducted 132 surgeries and distributed 780 eyeglasses to beneficiaries during the five-day mission.
The beneficiaries expressed gratitude to the Foundation for the timely life-saving interventions.
Mrs Gloria Joseph, who found out about the mission on Facebook and brought her nephew, who had earlier been diagnosed with appendicitis, was ecstatic about the free treatment and medicines he received.
“He had been in severe pain, and we didn’t know the cause. We finally took him to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with appendicitis and required surgery. Sadly, we couldn’t afford the procedure cost of N120,000. We brought him here, and he was operated upon and given medicines. He is progressing well, and I want to appreciate the Foundation’s generosity. I also thank the Chairman, Dr Seinye Lulu-Briggs, for her relentless effort in reaching the underserved. She is a true daughter of Rivers, and others should emulate her. Everything done here was efficient and neat. My nephew has no complications,” she said.
Another beneficiary, Mr Barry White, who hails from Akwa Ibom State, was diagnosed two years ago with a hernia but couldn’t pay for the surgery to remove it.
He said, “I was charged N280,000 for the procedure but couldn’t afford it. I had lived with the hernia until I heard about the Free Medical Mission. Doctors successfully operated on me here and didn’t collect any money. They also gave me prescription drugs free. I can’t express how relieved I am because this is a miracle. I pray to God to continue to sustain the Foundation, the Chairman and all her staff and volunteers.”
A fish vendor, Mrs Immaculate Isaiah, who had been living with a ruptured navel, also expressed gratitude for the free surgery to resolve the issue.
“I have been to three hospitals at Ngo and Bori, and all the doctors recommended a surgical operation to remove the rupture in my navel. Money was a challenge; the least the doctors asked to be paid was N350,000. I have little money, and nobody agreed to lend it to me.
“But O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation came and carried out the operation. What the doctors wanted to do at N350,000, O. B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation has done free of charge. They have changed my story, and my God will bless them richly. I want to thank Dr Seinye Lulu-Briggs, whose vision made these a reality. I won’t forget her for saving my life”, she said.
Commenting on the successful 38th Free Medical Mission, the Chairman of the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation, Dr Seinye Lulu-Briggs, said she was happy that it delivered timely assistance to people who urgently needed care but could not afford it.
“That is what we are about at the O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation. Several Nigerians, especially those at the grassroots, are in urgent need of care but cannot afford it. Some don’t have the money to transport themselves to cities with general hospitals, so we take quality healthcare services to their doorsteps. We have been doing this since 2005 and will continue to do so because God has chosen us a vessel to assist those in need of care,” she said.
Dr Lulu-Briggs, who also cited the importance of good health to boosting individual and national productivity, said more work needed to be done to provide quality healthcare for Nigerians.
She asked individuals and companies with the means to assist people in need of care or to partner with the Foundation. She thanked those who partnered with the Foundation on the 38th Free Medical Mission, including the Rivers State Primary Healthcare Management Board, the executive council of Andoni LGA, the Okaan-Ama of Ikuru Town, King (Dr) Aaron Miller Ikuru and his chiefs.
She also appreciated the Foundation’s medical and non-medical volunteers for ensuring the mission’s success.
“I am very grateful for all their contributions in ensuring the mission’s success. We appreciate the hand of fellowship and ask those interested in our next outing to please contact us, “Dr Lulu-Briggs said.
The O.B. Lulu-Briggs Foundation began hosting Free Medical Missions in 2005 and has attended to over 144,500 people in Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers State.
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.
