Shortage of staff hindering universal health coverage by 2030, says experts

Success Damian:

Experts have decried shortage of Nurses and Midwives globally, saying it poses serious hindrance to attainment of universal health coverage by the year 2030.

This much was revealed by critical stakeholders at a One Day Policy Workshop for Nurses and Midwives organized by Young Midwifery Leaders in Conjunction with Lagos Island Maternity Hospital (LIMH), Lagos on Wednesday.

With the theme, ‘Strengthening Universal Health Coverage’, the event also featured Policy workshop update on HIV/AIDS Intervention for Young People.

Director of Clinical Services & Training who also doubles as the Deputy Medical Director, Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, Dr. Ogungbemile Babalola, who represented the Medical Director, Dr Olufemi Omololu speaking on the challenges faced by nurses harped on shortage of staff “One challenge which I can think of is shortage in terms of staff strength, nurses are being overworked, and it is a general problem.”  

Ogungbemile was quick to add that the state government was already doing something to ameliorate the situation “The state government is already putting some things in place to ameliorate the problem. It is actually occasioned by health personnel leaving the country for greener pastures and it cuts across virtually every profession now, that is on the administrative side, maybe the other aspects can be thrown more light on by the a nurse who can tell you other problems they are facing.”

On her part, Cole Adebukola Oluwabisayo, the Apex Nurse of Lagos Island Maternity Hospital and Chief Hostess of the event said “2020 as Year of Nurses and Midwives as declared by World Health Organisation (WHO) is to let the world hear our voice, about what are the challenges that we are facing, so that a policy on this can be submitted so that the whole world can see what we are facing, and it is also to celebrate ourselves for the work which we are doing.”

Oluwabisayo, who maintained that nurses have done excellently well also spoke on the challenges being faced by African nurses. “Challenges faced by nurses include shortage of workforce in Africa. If you want to go by WHO standard, you will see that we are not nearing the statistics, the ratio, at all. In Africa, you see a nurse attending to 15-20 patients, even in outpatient department; she will be the only one, which is not supposed. Then the workforce, the equipment to work with, modern equipment, like in the other developed world, if they can be supplied adequately then we train ourselves so that we will be able to use it optimally.”

On some nurses that do not show dedication to their duties she said that over 90% of nurses are alive to their duties especially giving the WHO ratio.

Speaking on the Coronavirus ravaging parts of the world and how prepared the nurses are, she said “We are prepared, because in this hospital we have a committee called Infection Control Committee. We are ready; we don’t pray it will come to Nigeria, even the Lassa that is in neighbouring states, we are prepared. The PPP is available, the nurses are on ground; they are well equipped for it.” 

She then called on the youth to go for degree programme in nursing.  

Mrs Oluwatoyin Champion, chairman of the Local Organising Body, 2020 Nurse/Midwives year, speaking on the preparedness of the group for the year-long programme said “It is not really easy to gather people together and to do what you want; because the people believe in us, as you can see for yourself with the large turnout, you would know that we are grossly involved in this, every nurse is being celebrated and we are celebrating ourselves as well.”

She said the event is all about strengthening the nurses and building their capacities. “It is about strengthening nurses globally to achieve more. In America, Canada, UK, even in Africa, there is shortage of nurses. We want to see a way of bridging the gap sooner than later, so that by next decade, we should have more than enough nurses; a lot effort is being put into this. Today marks the kickoff of a year-long event to strengthen the nurses and build their capacity.” 

Olajumoke Adebayo, a Young Midwife Leader with International Confederation of Midwives and convener of the workshop disclosed that the international organization is the governing body for midwives around the world.

On the imperative of the workshop she stated “As a young midwife leader I am expected to do programmes like conferences, support our association in building their capacities and strengthening the profession. So as part of my project as a young midwife leader, I am doing a policy workshop, we are expected to move into decision making roles. If capacities are not built we won’t be able to fit into such places and that is why I am doing a policy workshop for the midwives to update their skills and also improve their capacity.” 

On challenges being faced by Midwives she said “Apart from not been invited to decision making tables, our voices are not heard, a lot of difficulties like been underpaid, poor working conditions, and despite all these we are still able to give the best services that we can, a lot of people do not want to invest in education which is very important for us.”

She said Nigeria is among the countries that have the highest number of maternal mortality in the world and it is important that capacities are built. “We should be able to build capacities of midwives, to ensure that we reduce maternal mortality. And that is why WHO is celebrating the year of nurses and midwives, so it is important that we find innovative ways of actually uplifting the status of nurses and midwives to ensuring that they are in better capacity to give quality care and also to be at decision making table.” She said she hoped that very soon there will be more midwives in the communities.   

On what government could do to tackle the challenges faced by nurses and midwives she said, “WHO has to declare this year, so that ministries of health and governments will be very conscious of the importance of midwives and nurse, they know that they have nurses and midwives but they have not seen the need to really invest in us and that is why WHO declared this year for us, bringing us to spotlight so that ministries of health and governments are more conscious and  they now know the importance and know that without us they cannot achieve universal healthcare. So I am happy that WHO actually declared this year the year of Nurse/Midwives.

Royal City College Matriculation holds as Tom Samson urges teachers to have fear of God

Success Damian:

General Overseer of Christ Royal Family Church International and Founder, Royal City College of Education Iyesi-Ota Ogun State, Bishop (Dr) Tom Samson, has called on teachers to have the fear of God.

Bishop Samson made the call at the institution’s matriculation ceremony of the Sandwich Students of the Ekiti State University at Iyesi-Ota, Ogun State on Saturday.

Royal City College is affiliated to Ekiti State University.

Tom Samson said that the institution is purely education and not a training ground for missionaries but stressed that teachers must have the fear of God to handle little children, “This is purely education where teachers are being trained, and moreover we inculcate in them that academic excellence, that moral; integrity is there, because those who will handle little children must have the fear of God, they must have moral, so that is one plus here,” Samson stated.

On challenges which education institutions are facing in Nigeria he said finance was a major challenge “Basically it is finance. You know education is very expensive, so the basic thing in our present nation has to do with finance, and moreover talk about facility, like electricity, many times you have to run most of these system with generator, bad roads is there as well,” he said.

Samsom also spoke about hard-work and integrity as the hallmarks of the college “Hard-work, integrity, truthfulness, when you come to an education institution like this, you need to be hardworking; we talk about academic excellence and integrity.”

Speaking further on how he felt about the matriculation of the institution, Bishop Samson said he felt good “I feel good that the school is progressing, by the grace of God by this time next year we will go higher.”

On the relationship between Royal City College and Ekiti State University, he said “It is amazing, you could see, if you look around we have amazing facilities, as a matter of fact, they scored us highest among the other affiliate institutions; we have all it takes to run a perfect institution.”

Also speaking on measures to ensure crime-free academic environment Bishop Samson said, “Prayers, we teach them, and that is why being a missionary environment it helps a lot, we are looking at teachers here, they are the ones to handle little children tomorrow, so we need to inculcate in them that fear of God. So that is what we are doing here, we don’t have issues of cultism or any other forms of crime, we don’t have it here.”

Provost of the institution and Director of Studies, Ekiti State University in affiliation with Royal City College of Education, Dr Remi Olufemi Ogunfunwa disclosed that the doctrine of the institution is to produce teachers that are embedded in the fear of God in order to reduce or eliminate all forms of disheartening behaviours from Nigerian schools.

He then advised the students saying “To all the matriculants, I want you to personally appreciate the mercy of God in your lives, for counting you worthy and granting you the privilege to be among those who are qualified to wear the matriculation gown because many of your contemporaries aimed to wear the gown but were denied by circumstances.

“In view of this, don’t be carried away or over excited because matriculation gown is just a ceremonial attire an evidence that you have been admitted into the university ‘to pursue’ a bachelor degree, which is a starting point of the four or five years race.

“To get the EKSU certificate you must be ready to dedicate and rededicate yourselves to your studies, you are not here for beauty pageant, cat-walking, sagging, wilting your trousers. You are here for thorough academic drilling and you must prepare to pass through the academic furnaces like Gold and allow people to search or celebrate your achievements,” said Ogunfunwa.

One of the newly matriculated students, Oluseyi Olayinka, while thanking the management of the institution for the efforts in running the school stated that the school is highly disciplined compared to other universities, in other universities they have freedom, not that we are not free here, but there are things you cannot do here being a Christian environment, there are some rules and regulations you must adhere to, but in other social activities, it is virtually the same.”

On what he felt the school can do to make their study much conducive he said, “They have actually tried but we still need more structures to accommodate students, the environment will be beautiful, it will make us feel, yes, we are in a University environment.”

GOREM Pastor foresees political betrayals, death of prominent men of God in 2020

Success Damian:

Lead Pastor, Gospel of Redemption Evangelical Mission (GOREM), City of Wonders, Prayer Chinoye Otuomachi, has prophesied that some prominent men of God in Nigeria will relocate to heaven in 2020.

Uchemachi also stated that the year is also packed with betrayals in the Nigerian political firmament.

“This year 2020, is a year great men of God will relocate to heaven, what do I mean by that? There are some men of God that will be dropping mantles and leaving the earth and they will be going to heaven. Great and respected, we should pray for them.

“This year 2020 is a year of betrayal in the political sector; it is a year of betrayal. Some people that back you up will just betray you. Fathers will betray son, son will betray father,” he said.

Prayer Uchemachi made the disclosures while speaking to the media on his 2020 Prophecies at the Centre for Revival, Scriptures, Strange Miracle, the Prophetic, Iyana Oworo, Lagos International Headquarters of the church on Sunday.

Uchemachi went ahead to state that the year is a year of wonder double “God gave us a lot of prophecies, for example the year 2020 is our year of Wonder Double, we will be receiving wonders in double, It is a year of lifting and shifting. It is a year you will see someone that is down and all of a sudden, he is up, and you will see some one that is up and all of a sudden comes down. It is a year of risks, according to how God gave to us in this commission. It is a year you will be ready to take some risks, the risks you have not taken before to achieve something because, if you sit down there and think this is difficult, I can’t do it, you might never be able to achieve something tangible in 2020, it is a year you will be ready to do something as it comes, when opportunity comes, you won’t wait, you just do it and you get result.”

Uchemachi who is in his early 30s, stated that the year 2020 is a year of Jacob’s ladder. “It is a year of Jacob’s ladder; it is a year of rising and falling, Jacob has a revelation of ascending and descending, it is a year where you see great men go down and you see ordinary mean men come up. Take for example, the Imo State Election; it is a year a great man came down unexpectedly, shocking and surprising even up till now people have not come out of the shock. It is a year the man that was said to have lost the election, became the governor. 

“It is a year where the snail will meet up with the rabbit, a year where the snail as slow as it is, by revelation, will meet up with the rabbit that is very fast. It is the year to sow and reap immediately, Like God told Isaac, Isaac sow in that year, and reap under the same year a hundred fold, it is a year to get pregnant and deliver that same day, God told the children of Israel, Israel shall get pregnant in a day and deliver in a day, it means it is a year where you will catch revelation and immediately that revelation will deliver for you. It is a year you catch an idea, immediately that idea will deliver for you,” Prayer Uchemachi stated.

He went ahead to state that the year 2020 is a year of beginnings, “It is a year of beginnings, a lot of people that collapsed for many years, 2020 is a year they are rising up again. Businesses that have collapsed, this 2020 is the year they are starting again.” 

According to the young pastor, 2020 is a year God will raise mad prophets “It is a year God is raising what I called mad prophets, and what is the meaning of mad prophets, mad prophets are men that are dedicated to speak the word of God undiluted, without adulteration, they are not adding, they are not removing. One thing that has been happening in the church today, some people are trying to preach to deceive people and God said in 2020 He will be raising young men that will speak the word of God as it is. Take a look at Sheldrake, Meshack and Abednego, the bible said they were bold enough to tell Nebuchadnezzar that we are not here to answer you in this matter, they were so bold, those guys were mad prophets; they are crazy for God.”

He said some men of God will be exposed for their deceptive practices. “It is also a year God will be exposing some so-called men of God. They have skeletons in their cupboard, they have been arranging and managing, God will expose a lot of them. You will hear it in the news; you will hear it on social media. God will be exposing them because they have been spoiling the name of God.”

Uchemachi stated that a state Governor will not be able to complete his tenure this year “This year is a year, I saw a governor not been able to finish his tenure. I see someone finishing it up for him. Something happen and he has to step down for somebody to finish the tenure, he didn’t finish the four years.”

He said death will be rampant in 2020 “This year a kind of year death will become rampant, you begin to hear that this person die this kind of death, it will be rampant, we must pray against that, that we should not be part of that. This year we should pray against war, I saw a nearby battle around Nigeria. This is what I spoke about on January 1^st. We need to pray against that too.

“This year I see Buhari, he is going to start new projects, there are things he will do this year and people will clap for him. I saw some projects he mapped out for execution, we also need to pray for him so they become a reality; he will start them and finish them this year.

“This year I saw the water that is angry, there are places they are building on top of water and I saw the water rise up and collapse them, so you may begin to hear about flood taking over some places this year.”

On his prophecies that has come to pass, Uchemachi pointed at the Governorship Election in Imo State “This year I am praying for the positive ones to come to pass, but one of them I see happening would be the instance of the Imo State Election, where I said the great will be coming down and then, someone you are not expecting to be up will be up. 

“It is what has happened in the Imo State election, where the fourth, Hope, and the one that got the most votes was not the one that became the governor, people can say what they want to say, but the way God does His things, is beyond the understanding of man, some of us might thing it was man-made, but if you look deeper, you can see that it was divinely orchestrated, that the least becomes the first and the first becomes the last,” Prayer Uchemachi stated.

Deaconess Baker clocks 60, plans big to serve God, help humanity

Sixty years on beautiful planet earth is a no tea party, but those who are lucky to attain the golden age would tell you that the journey is a potpourri of joy and sadness; they would also inform that it is only God that sustains life. This was the experience of Deaconess (Mrs.) Florence Ogochukwu Baker who clocked 60 on Saturday. SUCCESS DAMIAN reports.

Deaconess Florence Baker was at her best as she marked her 60^th birthday with pomp on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at her palatial home in Thomas Estate Ajah, Lagos. 

The celebration which was attended by her relations, in-laws, friends and well-wishers who stood by her till sundown was laced with beautiful melodious and current music in symmetry with the Eldorado ambience of her home, venue of the event.

In a Chat with the media, Deaconess Baker averred that she felt great at 60 and she thanked God. She added that it was not an easy journey, but has to thank the almighty creator. She stated that it is a very long journey full of joy and sadness. “The world is full of happiness and joy and sadness also, but I thank God in the end because He is there for me.” 

On the secret of her youthfulness “I just make myself comfortable and then relax a little bit.”

She spoke a bit on the secret behind her beauty “I don’t know if I am beautiful or not, that is the work of God, but I carry myself as if I am beautiful,” Baker said.

On how she feels being a grandmother, “I am very happy and I am satisfied. I have wonderful children and wonderful grandchildren, the ones that are here and other ones that are abroad, all my grand-children are abroad.” 

Mrs Baker has a word for her children and grandchildren. “They must be patient, and then to stand firm, they must look up to God because He is the only one that holds the key; in any situation they must have focus.“

On her plans for the future, she said, “I want to try my possible best on what I can lay my hands on, I really want to move on, I want people to know me, I want to do the work of God and I want to cherish the things of God the more. I really want to contribute totally to the things of God and see what I can do to help others.”

Baker captured her happiest and saddest moments this way” My happiest moment was when I was born-again and when I met my late husband. The day I met him, the day we started the journey together and children God gave me and family and friends around me.

“But my saddest day, I will not lie, was when my husband was called to glory, I was there live and direct, I couldn’t do anything to save him, That is when I know that there is nothing we can do, God owns everything, you know, I saw him sick, but I was thinking that with the God we serve, he will not die but it pleased God to take him because He needed him for greater work which I cannot stop, that was my saddest day, but I thank God.

IBILE Forum: Dosunmu tasks Lagosians on their right, harps on merit …As Fagbohun urges cooperation, bags Excellence Award

Success Damian:

From left: Special Adviser to Lagos State Governor of Arts and Tourism, Hon. Bonu Solomon; the Guest Speaker, Prof. Oluwole Smith; Vice Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun, SAN, NPOM and Chairman of the Occasion, Dr. Ade Dosunmu at the IBILE Day Celebration

 

Prominent Lagos politician, Dr Ade Dosunmu, has called on Lagos indigenes to take their rightful place on issues that concern them.

Dosunmu made the call in his capacity as the Chairman of the maiden edition of IBILE Celebration which took place at the Lagas State University (LASU) at Ojo on Thursday.

At an event which has the theme “Lagos for Lagos: Past, Present and Future (LASU: An Inevitable Nexus between Lagos and its Development), Dosunmu added ^“We must make sure to take our rightful place in issues that concerns us as Lagosians. 

“Let us not look at this platform (IBILE) as an opportunity to promote mediocrity.  Our people must strive to be the best and we must make sure that the best of our people are the ones we promote to the position of responsibility, Dosunmu stated.

IBILE Forum is made up of Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos and Epe.

Dosunmu stated further “We must let people know that as Lagosians, we are decent people, we are well-read and we are responsible.”

Dosunmu thanked God for the giant strides that have been recorded through the Vice Chancellor. “But one day, he must leave. He has laid a good foundation. We must get involved in who succeeds him and ensure that while he is still here, we give him the needed support.”

According to the Vice Chancellor of the Lagos State University, Prof. Olarnwaju Adigun Fagbohun, who bagged an Excellence Award on the occasion; disclosed that the orientation in LASU has changed and called on stakeholders to work as a team for there to be progress and sustainability. “Unlike before, all of us: Unions, staff, students are all working in unison.”

He stated that without peace there would be no development “Without peace, we will not have development. All the investors coming to LASU won't be coming if there was no peace.”

Fagbohun said that there is no conflict in the institution “There is no conflict between the indigenes and non-indigenes. We must recognize that the IBILE day symbolizes that Lagosians are given a pride of place in what is theirs. We do not advocate that some people should go. All of us must come together and work as one in LASU.” 

The Vice Chancellor maintained that the Management, Unions must remain responsible if the university must sustain its development.

 He called on the stakeholders to use their energy to sustain the University. “Stand together as one. Today, this initiative is to protect the peace that we have. To do this, we need everybody on board. It takes time to build an institution; it takes a day to destroy it. We must not allow what we have achieved to be destroyed. We must remain together,” Fagbohun advised.

Earlier, the Convener of the Forum, Dr. Sanni Habeeb explained what IBILE is all about “LASU IBILE Day is a day set aside by those of us indigenes from the five divisions in LASU to celebrate our history, culture and heritage. We have tried to establish a common front to meet and discuss issues that are germane to the development of our only university, LASU.

We are so passionate about its development and the need to ensure that it continues to serve as the training ground for manpower development of Lagos State and Nigeria in general.”

Habeeb made it clear that the essence of IBILE was not to engage in conflict with non indigenes. “I must state clearly that we do not intend to engage in any struggle with non-indigenes in LASU. Rather we are all partners in progress in its development. The IBILE Forum that we are launching today will always ensure to be friendly with all,” he said.

He further stated that IBILE was designed to “Ensure that the rights of our people as enshrined in the university statutory laws are not trampled upon.

“Today’s occasion is a celebration of our own achievements, our heritage and culture; we hope to further showcase what Lagos is known for.”

He pleaded that every 27^th Day of May should be declared IBILE Day “I wish that every 27^th Day of May be declared as IBILE Day. This has been given a proclamation by Governor Raji Fashla at the twilight of his administration, but his successor did not act accordingly.”

Highlights of the occasion include merit awards, cultural displays from the five divisions that make up IBILE, keynotes an entertainments.