3-day-old baby stolen from Plateau hospital found, reunites with parents

NEWS

3-day-old baby stolen from Plateau hospital found, reunites with parents

 

The Management of Plateau Specialist Hospital, Jos, on Monday, handed a baby (Gift Chukwuebuka), which was stolen ten days ago to her parents.

We reported that the baby, which was delivered on May 28, 2019, was stolen barely three days after she was delivered (May 31, 2019), by a woman who claimed to be a medical personal in the aforementioned hospital.

Presenting the child to the parents; the Chief Medical Director of the Hospital, Dr Philemon Golwa, said, “Today is not a day of mourning, but a day of celebration; celebration of a life that was thought to have been lost, but now has been found.

Golwa said when the management was informed about missing of the child, “we were worried and we went to the police and had a meeting with them and they did their work and recovered the baby.”

The CMD said he was under pressure from different quotas to speak about the incident, but was very careful not to contradict himself; “But we thank God that today we have to celebrate.”

“Any baby that comes with circumstances like this, such baby turns out to be great in the society and that is why we need to tell the world what has happened.

According to the CMD, the police invited him and other staff on duty when the incident happened to the station, “some were even put behind the counter, we had to do all that we could do to bring them out.

“As God will have it, last Thursday, we had a big breakthrough, the baby was found and the person that did the technical work of snatching the baby from here to another hospital also had to confess, she admitted to her fault and we have left that one to the police.

“Why the police have not been able to say anything now is that they are working to demystify the mystery behind how the baby was taken from the ward finding to another hospital, so, I think they are still doing their work and I cannot stop them.

The CMD further explained that the incident occurred during the visiting hours of the Hospital (between 4-6pm).

Golwa assured that the management has taken more stringent security measures to ensure that such a thing never happens again.

He added that people coming to the Hospital must adhere to some procedures that may sound strange to them.

The CMD also said the Medical bills of the baby would be settled by the Hospital and they would be doing a follow-up, even if they are discharged.

Responding, parents of the baby, Mr. and Mrs. Chukwuebuka, thanked everyone for ensuring that their baby was found and returned to them safely, especially the media and security operatives.

 

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World Health Organisation recognizes video game addiction as a Mental Health Disorder

HEALTH

World Health Organisation recognizes video game addiction as a Mental Health Disorder

 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized gaming addiction as a Mental Health Disorder.

The WHO's International Classification of Diseases (ICD),  describes addiction to digital and video gaming as "a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior" that becomes so extensive it "takes precedence over other life interests".

The WHO's expert on mental health and substance abuse, Shekhar Saxena, said some of the worst cases seen in global research were of gamers playing for up to 20 hours a day, forgoing sleep, meals, work or school and other daily activities.

He stressed that only a small minority of people who play digital and video games would develop a problem, but said recognition of early warning signs may help prevent it.

"This is an occasional or transitory behavior," he said, adding that only if such behavior persists for around a year could a potential diagnosis of a disorder be made.

Responding to the decision to including gaming addiction, the Video Games Coalition,  an industry lobby group said their products were "enjoyed safely and sensibly by more than 2 billion people worldwide" across all kinds of genres, devices, and platforms.

It added that the "educational, therapeutic, and recreational value" of games was well-founded and widely recognized and urged the WHO to reconsider.

Here is the official definition of gaming disorder from the WHO:

“A pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior (‘digital gaming’ or ‘video-gaming’), which may be online (i.e., over the internet) or offline, manifested by:

Impaired control over gaming (e.g., onset, frequency, intensity, duration, termination, context);

Increasing priority given to gaming to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other life interests and daily activities; and
Continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences. 

The behavior pattern is of sufficient severity to result in significant impairment in personal, family, social, educational, occupational or other important areas of functioning.”

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Ants allegedly eat two babies to death in Cross River hospital

HEALTH

Ants allegedly eat two babies to death in Cross River hospital

 

Two out of three pre-mature babies delivered at the Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Obubra Local Government Area of Cross River State have been allegedly eaten to death by ants.

The findings revealed that the mother had a pre-term labour, this was after she fought with her neighbor in their compound.

An eyewitness, who gave her name as Antonia said, “When the babies were born, the Director General (DG) State Primary Health Care Development Agency, Dr Betta Edu was immediately contacted.

“The DG directed that the babies and the mother be immediately transferred to a facility that has incubator, unfortunately, the General Hospital there has no such facility, so they were referred to a private hospital in Ikom,” she said.

Disappointingly, the hospital said they have no generator, the DG ordered for a generator, provided fuel for the generator and the babies were kept in the incubator in the Hospital.

It was gathered that the monies being sent for the upkeep of the children were allegedly mismanaged by the father and also the babies were allegedly neglected by the hospital such that ants got into their incubator, which led to the death of two out of the three babies.

Speaking with our correspondent on phone on Monday evening, the DG said “The mother had a pre-term labour, this was after a fight with her neighbor, when the babies were born, I was called upon because it was a Primary Heath Centre and I said, management of pre-matured babies was beyond PHC.

“So, I immediately ordered for the referral of the babies and the mother to a facility that has incubator, unfortunately, the General Hospital there do not have incubator so they were referred to a private hospital in Ikom.

“I provided fuel; clothes and several items for the up keep of the babies and the mother. Gave the father of the triplet money in case the hospital needed money for consumables and directed my friends to pay money into the father’s account and that was done by some of my friends.

“The reasons for the donation were to ensure that whenever money is required by the hospital, the father will provide. If it were to be government hospital, I know who I would have given the money, even though we were paying the hospital, we make money available.”

The money for wife’s food, according to the DG was also provided but the father of the children refused to release even N1, he held on to the money. “I kept sending my PHC coordinator to go and check and she will call me and said the wife was not giving food, the situation went on and on.

“The hospital asked him for money but he was not providing and so they left him and that was why I said the negligence comes in, at worse, the hospital should have called me or reach out to my PHC coordinator to say look we asked the father for A, B, C but he did not give.

“They did not do that so when we heard that ant stung one of them, I send my PHC coordinator there, she didn’t find the ants in the incubator, however, there was mark on one of them that an ant had stung, the mark was there and the place was red and it may not be ant, it may be mosquito or any other thing but there was no physical ant in the incubator.

“However, a day after, one of the babies died in the night and the next one died in the early hours of the following day. The babies were seven months old.

“The general expenditure from me was over N200, 000, and I directed my friends to pay to the account of the father, at least the people I know have made donation amounting to over N150, 000.

“As it is now, we have set up a investigative panel to look into the alleged negligence, if it is established that there was negligence in the part of the hospital, we will shut down the place and withdraw the practicing license and for the father, we are contacting human right activist so that they can give us right advice and legal backing.”

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Medical tourism costs Nigeria over $1bilion yearly – Minister

NEWS

Medical tourism costs Nigeria over $1bilion yearly – Minister

 

Minister of State for Health, Osagie Ehanire, has lamented the spate of medical tourism abroad by Nigerians.

Ehanire said Nigeria is currently losing more than $1 billion dollar yearly to medical service sourced abroad by Nigerians.

According to him, the increase in medical tourism is a declaration of no confidence in the nation’s health system.

The minister said this on Thursday in Benin during the University of Benin Teaching Hospital’s 46th founders’ day and launching of an endowment fund for the hospital.

He said: “About a year ago, it was estimated that Nigeria loses about $1billion every year to medical service sourced abroad. The figure is probably higher now.

“The medical tourism is a declaration of no confidence in our health system, which we must endeavour to address.”

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