Health

India: over 100 million people fail to turn up for second Covid vaccine

More than 100 million Indians have not turned up for their second coronavirus vaccine dose, official data showed, raising concerns of a resurgence in the disease despite a relatively low infection rate.

Apart from leaving these people at risk of catching Covid-19, their “vaccine truancy” endangers India’s target of inoculating all adults by 31 December, a target that is in any case unlikely to be met owing to the earlier shortage of vaccines at the start of the inoculation campaign.

“We have seen this complacency with tuberculosis patients. They start taking the drugs and after a few weeks, they feel better so they stop even though they have to take them for six months,” said Bhavna Dewan, a health worker in Nainital. “It’s a similar mentality with the vaccine. I’m sure they feel one dose is enough because no one is falling ill.”

Mansukh Mandaviya, India’s health minister, is urging states to address the issue. From next month, he said, health workers will make door-to-door visits to find the truants.

The figure of 103.4m missed doses comes just a week after India celebrated administering 1bn doses thanks to the efforts of health workers who trekked over mountains, picked their way through landslide rubble, crossed turbulent rivers, and braved jungles to reach the remotest hamlets.

India has administered first doses to 725 million people, or to 77% of its’ 944 million adults, and second doses to 316 million, or 34%.

But some experts are wondering if giving the second dose might prove to be even more of a challenge if complacency, spawned by the belief that the worst is over, has set in.

For the last 29 days, new daily cases have been below 30,000. In the past few days, they have hovered around 13-to-15,000 a day, the lowest for eight months.

Life has returned to something very close to normal. People are celebrating festivals with abandon, socialising, shopping, and eating out. The low daily new infection rate has made many Indians believe a third wave is unlikely. Experts have also been saying that, barring a new variant, a third wave seems a remote prospect.

Still, Dr Satyajit Rath, a scientist at the National Institute of Immunology, said the 103.4 million figure was only a cause for concern if people never get their second shot.

“If people have always dallied a little in coming in for their second dose, maybe coming a week or two or a month later than prescribed because they were busy, then it is not alarming. It simply means that many of these 103.4 million people will catch up. But if a larger percentage of people are coming in late, then it is concerning. But we don’t know,” he said.

Health

19 children die from measles complications in Adamawa

About 19 children have died from measles complications in Mubi North Local Government Area of Adamawa state.

The state’s commissioner for health, Felix Tangwami further revealed that 200 children in the local government area are already infected.

Tangwami said the outbreak was reported in Yola on Saturday, April 27, leading to a quick mobilisation of medics and drugs to affected communities. Children with severe infections would be referred to hospitals.

The medical team would move from Mubi to Gombi Local Government Area where another outbreak had been reported. The commissioner blamed the refusal of parents to immunize their children for the outbreak.

Health

Resident doctors at DELSUTH begin one- week warning strike

Resident doctors at the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, DELSUTH, have commenced a one-week warning strike over the alleged Delta State Government’s insensitivity to issues affecting the provision of optimal patient care and training of resident doctors.

Issues raised include deteriorating infrastructure and outdated and dysfunctional equipment essential for the diagnosis and treatment of various medical conditions.

A statement signed by Dr Harrison Adja (President), Dr Maurice Oghenekaro (General Secretary) and Dr Erhire Clinton Umukoro (Public Relations Officer) said the decision was taken by the ARD DELSUTH Congress, adding that the industrial action commenced at 8 am on Friday, April 26, 2024.

According to the association: “Despite recent renovations, the ongoing decay of the hospital is glaringly evident. The elevator has never functioned, plumbing remains as problematic as it was before the refurbishment, fixtures are falling apart and the air conditioning units and fans have all malfunctioned. Working within the hospital has become an extremely distressing experience due to these issues.”

Some of the outdated equipment mentioned includes CT scan machine, MRI scan machine, mammography machine, endoscopy machine, orthopaedic equipment, anaesthetic machine, ventilators, multiparameter monitors, and electroencephalography machine, among others.

Among other reasons advanced for the strike, the doctors also mentioned that inadequate power supply and escalating costs of electricity from BEDC supplied to the hospital, compounded by insufficient financial support from the state government, were big issues for them.

The DELSUTH resident doctors, however, hinted that they are willing to make sacrifices to deliver optimal patient care.

“Nevertheless, we urge all concerned parties to impress upon the state government the importance of adequately funding the highest referral centre in Delta State,” the statement concluded.

Health

Kano health agency seals private hospital for violating laws

The Kano State Private Health Institutions Management Agency (PHIMA) has sealed Sassauka Clinic and Diagnosis Centre, Rimin Kebe, over violation of laws, rules and regulations of the Agency.

The Director General of the PHIMA, Prof. Salisu Ahmad Ibrahim, who supervised the closure ot the. Clinic, maintained that it was as a result of violating the laws of the agency by the clinic.

Prof. Salisu explained that in the first place, the name the clinic registered with the PHIMA differs with the name it is currently using, saying that the name of the clinic registered is Sassauka Clinic and Diagnosis but uses Sassauka Hospital without proper documentation that allows them to change the name.

The Director General further stated that the management of the facility also increased their services without notifying the PHIMA, citing the increase from the initial six bed clinic approved for to a 40- bed capacity hospital.

According to him, the law of the Agency stipulated that three medical doctors must be provided to a 40- bed capacity clinic, but in the case of Sassauka clinic it still manages one doctor and he was not always present.

Prof. Salisu lamented that even the supporting staff that assist in running the clinic were grossly inadequate as far as the standard of operations is concerned.

According to him, “it was based on the above listed offences and other issues that the clinic was closed down, and the owner was invited to the PHIMA in the following week to look at what the law of the Agency stipulates to be guided aright in order to continue the operation upon fulfilling all the requirements.”

The Director General then reiterated the unwavering resolve of the PHIMA to keep on sanitizing activities of the private health institutions in the state, urging them to cooperate with his agencies in order to achieving the goal, which is providing an excellent health service delivery to the people.

He commended Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for the optimal attention he accorded the healthcare system of the state by putting in the needed strengths and resources to reviving the sector to meet up with the global standard of operations.

Prof. Salisu also appreciated the level of support and guidance of the Commissioner for Health Dr. Abubakar Labaran to the PHIMA and other agencies under the ministry to discharge their activities with all the liberties devoid of interference so that people of state become healthy and thrilled.