Lagos gives traditional medicine a boost

Lagos gives traditional medicine a boost
Qasim Akinreti, Lagos

The south-western state of Lagos has given traditional medicine a big boost for health care services in the Nigerian commercial city.

According to the Lagos state Commissioner for Health, Dr Jide Idris, an inspectorate division of the Traditional Medicine Board has been established to monitor the practices and infrastructure of traditional medicine practitioners in the state.

Similarly, capacity development for traditional   medicine practitioners were organised for six weeks. During the training programme, 164 traditional birth attendants benefited as Model Clinics and library were established to serve different aspects of health service delivery.

Under the current health care services of the Lagos state, traditional medicine has been incorporated to primary health care schemes whereby traditional birth attendants and use of local herbs certified by the National Food and Drugs Administration and control NAFDAC, were prescribed and used for patients.

Preventative diseases such as malaria, cough, and cold were treated at the primary health centres with certified local herbs.

Other health initiatives

On malaria eradication, about 2 million were protected from malaria through the Indoor Residual Spraying (IRS) exercise intervention in the phases at Badagry, Ikorodu, Ojo and Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Areas and 11 Local Development Areas in the state.

Various strategies have been implemented by the state in reducing the malaria burden. In the word of Dr. Jide Idris, “40,000 rooms were enumerated in rural communities of Igbokuta, Gberigbe and Maja in Imota Local Development Areas during the first phase IRS exercise”.

Similarly, under the blindness prevention program, a total of 44,057 patients were screened while 8,610 received services at 157 designated primary health Clinics.

In the same vein, 7,610 children were screened and 75 were managed for refractive errors.

The health Commissioner also added that, the blood transition committee had work assiduously to ensure quality blood banking and safe blood transfusion services.

Available record has indicated that 1,349 voluntary blood donors were recruited during the year, 46,896 units of voluntary blood were screened by all public and privates hospitals during the last year, while voluntary blood donation exercises were conducted at the Staff Clinic, Alausa Secretariat.

Free health mission

About 196, 230 people have benefitted from the Lagos State Eko Free Health Mission in the last one year.

The Commissioner explained that the scope of services rendered in the free health service include, nutritional assessment of Children, Counselling on reproductive health and distribution of condoms, screening for hypertension, diabetes mellitus, HIV/AIDS, general and ophthalmic consultation, provision of glasses and free medication as well as dental surgical procedures.

Dr. Jide Idris added that, some of these medical missions that were executed were in collaboration with various committed partners and organizations in and outside Nigeria.

Williams