Medical Yahoo , Made in Nigeria
Few years ago Aba and Onitsha had this epidemics of "isa obara ", literarily meaning "to wash blood ".
The concept was that some quacks - chemists , quack nurses , mischievous physicians, wicked pharmacists
Few years ago Aba and Onitsha had this epidemics of "isa obara ", literarily meaning "to wash blood ".
The concept was that some quacks - chemists , quack nurses , mischievous physicians, wicked pharmacists
and heartless nurses would inject a person with Rifampicin - an Antituberculosis medication which causes the urine to turn straw colour or darkish red . Then load them with 2L Normal Saline
infused with 100mls of 50% Dextrose water 💦, now inject the person with 80mg of Frusemide - a diuretic . instant effect is that the person would become over hydrated with the Saline solution, the Rifampicin would turn the urine darkish colour while the diuretics cause diuresis -
- profuse production of urine .
This person is catheterised to complete the fraud 🤥.
So , wired up with large volumes of drip , large volume of very darkish urine would be collecting in the urine bag 😂 connected to the catheter .
This person is catheterised to complete the fraud 🤥.
So , wired up with large volumes of drip , large volume of very darkish urine would be collecting in the urine bag 😂 connected to the catheter .
As the Rifampicin wears out in the blood the urine becomes gradually clearer - the blood is supposedly washed clean !!!
At the end of the procedure the urine colour returns to normal heralding a good job by the quack . The 50% pure dextrose would ensure that the person leaves the hospital feeling very strong and energetic having received excess dose of sugar .
The medically illiterate man or woman would gladly part with large sums of money after being subjected to very unnecessary and potentially lethal therapy .
When I arrived in Aba in 2007 as a young doctor , many men approached me to " doctor please I need to wash my blood "
When I arrived in Aba in 2007 as a young doctor , many men approached me to " doctor please I need to wash my blood "
I had no idea what they meant and eventually I became a victim of vicious gossip , I was labelled a fake for not knowing how to "wash blood".
A kind friendly older CHEW took pity on me and "mentored " me on how to do the magic . I was so alarmed and and I argued relentlessly with her that it was a lethal and needless practice 😂, she gave up on me as unteachable.
Few days ago , a lady mentioned to me that she came back from a trip and would go see a family "nurse " who would put drips on her to "clear" all disease she might have been exposed to during her trip to the village .
I told her that was a quack practice and we argued over it till I got tired and dismissed her . She tried to explain to me that she never needs a doctor unless she was going for surgery . According to her the normal thing was to go to a lab when she's sick ,
take the lab report to a "nurse " who uses the report to "treat " her . Any sickness that is not surgical falls within this steps of medicare.
This evening her older sister reached out to me that she was on drip .
This evening her older sister reached out to me that she was on drip .
She shared a photo of her receiving some yellowish infusion with a scalp vein cannula in her antecubital fossa .
When I inquired what her issues were she told me the nurse said she had "big fever that has entered the blood " and that she needed 4 bags of drips .
When I inquired what her issues were she told me the nurse said she had "big fever that has entered the blood " and that she needed 4 bags of drips .
From the label I could see 1L Normal Saline, so this lady had received 3 litters with the 4th one running. I screamed that that was a dangerous quackery going on . I told her it appeared her family is used to this "nurse " thing . She too began to argue 🤣🤣😂.
When I informed her that that particular drip was not a medication and would not quite treat any diseases except maybe dehydration, she posited that the "nurse" infused "drugs " in the drip , any other medications? Nope 🤣!
Apparently this lady was receiving Bcomplex concussion in saline drip . Her bill was 35k. She needed my help to offset the bill.
Ofcourse I'm not paying a dime , I'm wicked like that 😂.
This happened somewhere in Satellite Town Lagos Nigeria.
Ofcourse I'm not paying a dime , I'm wicked like that 😂.
This happened somewhere in Satellite Town Lagos Nigeria.
I can recall some years back when one federal legislature argued in the floor of the House that a doctor was mostly inessential in healthcare practice.
According to him he never went to a hospital whenever he was sick , rather he'd go to a Lab Scientist, who would diagnose him after running some tests , then he would go to a pharmacist armed with prescription from the Lab Scientist,never a doctor !
This was a Nigerian Legislature's argument against paying doctors more .
A greater percentage of Nigerians engage in this practice .
A greater percentage of Nigerians engage in this practice .
I had a terrible experience while I practiced in Elele many years ago . I treated a man who had heart failure with some antihypertensive drugs , digitalis and diuretics .The man improved and went home . Cough was his major complaint due to pulmonary congestion .
I discharged him on some take home medications accordingly .
Few days later the wife began to cough , the man's children promptly gave his medications to her , after all they had similar symptoms.
Few days later the wife began to cough , the man's children promptly gave his medications to her , after all they had similar symptoms.
The woman came down with some serious complications including dehydration from the high dose Frusemide.
I was chilling in my office one afternoon when a truck load of police officers barricaded the hospital and roughly arrested me as a "quack doctor 🤣".
During interrogation I was made to produce evidence of my qualification and license to practice.
During interrogation I was made to produce evidence of my qualification and license to practice.
I continued to enquire what my offense was , they eventually told me I treated one elderly woman that nearly died after taking the drugs I supposedly gave to her . But the name was unfamiliar and I demanded for the hospital card , they presented the man's card which was familiar
I informed the police that I only treated the husband and never the woman , that's when they opened up that she took his drugs for "same ailments" and had complications . That's how I now explained the situation to the police and I was let go.
In same Elele I once treated a woman with infertility caused my polycystic ovarian syndrome, she had lactoria . I gave her Bromo*** which cleared the lactoria and she promptly became pregnant .
The lady's brother dealt on drugs at Tenant Road Aba. So she took her tabs to him
The lady's brother dealt on drugs at Tenant Road Aba. So she took her tabs to him
they found out the medication, these duo began to "treat " any kinds of infertility cases using her prescription.
I heard the story of how it was me that "mentored" one lady that was so good in treating infertile women from another patient who didn't want to be treated by a non qualified person - my patient inadvertently "referred " a patient to me 😂😂😂, we became colleagues.
So many factors contribute to poor healthcare in Nigeria- ignorance , superstition, very poor regulation , greed by allied health workers, over indulgence of non regulated faith healers , poor government infrastructure etc
One time in several radio outlets in Enugu some of my Kith were on air to educate people on how supposedly to avoid "ure okpa "🤣, a name for amorphous groups of leg ulcers ranging from tropical ulcers , diabetic foot ulcers, elephantiasis etc .
The fetish "treatment" of leg ulcers is a thriving business around my community at the moment.
There is belief that humans are responsible for "jazzing " people with the ailments, they say you could purchase the charm in the market. You would be shocked to hear highly educated persons , including some residing in Western Countries gleefully sharing this misinformation .
I have witnessed so many people loose their lives needlessly to quackery and fetishism including so many young people.
2 years ago , a friend was sick & received treatment at a nurse's house at Onitsha . I spoke with the nurse and asked her to send me Lab report which she did
2 years ago , a friend was sick & received treatment at a nurse's house at Onitsha . I spoke with the nurse and asked her to send me Lab report which she did
From the report the man had acute liver disease. I begged them to take the man to NAUTH Nnewi, they did and with my contact this man was speedily admitted into a ward and treatment about to commence.
Only for another relative to arrive and announced that his sickness was due to a JuJu done to him by someone being owed by his son , therefore was not a matter to be handled in a hospital.
He said the only person who could cure him lived in Oji River Urban . I begged and begged for them to let the man receive treatment, they took him away to the marabout, he died few days later .
I also remember many years ago during my O&G Clinical Posting at EBSUTH , a lady with 3 previous ceaserian sections came to the hospital for a booked C/S but was reluctant to allow the surgery. The husband kept dodging to sign the consent ,
while the woman played "Akpo Aza Ka Chineke mu bu " a remix gospel track by an Aba based gospel music group , on repeat. A pastor always came to pray for her soon after each rounds by the doctors . Apparently this pastor prophesied she would deliver like "Hebrew Women" 🤣🤣🤣🤣.
She had ruptured uterus,died with the baby .
The stories are endless and rather frustrating.
We need vigorous enlightenment and stricter regulations to make any gains in our healthcare system.
Dr McGinger Ibeneme MBBS
Principal Medical Officer
The stories are endless and rather frustrating.
We need vigorous enlightenment and stricter regulations to make any gains in our healthcare system.
Dr McGinger Ibeneme MBBS
Principal Medical Officer
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