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31 يوليو 2015

An Open Proposal For Proper Regulation Of Internship/Housemanship By PIHAN



Prospective Interns/House Officers
Association of Nigeria
(PIHAN)
A proposal for the proper regulation of Medical
Internship/Housemanship


Preamble
Critical challenges faced by Prospective Interns/House Officers
     There is an ongoing crisis in the health sector with regards to Medical Internship/Housemanship. The lopsided method occasioned by the irregularities in the process of placement has plagued its prospective interns/house officers over the years. The mandatory internship/housemanship program is an extension of our training, where we acquire more comprehensive clinical training, given the fact that we are dealing with the most sacred form of life, the human life.
As such, it has become sacrosanct for us in the health sector to be efficient and competent in all ramifications.
     Having said that, this mandatory one year program has virtually become a stumbling block to prospective interns/house officers, as there are no well structured and organized modalities put in place for easy access to securing placement ergo the unbearable scenario where a graduate from Medicine, Pharmacy, Medical Laboratory Science, Dentistry, Radiography, Physiotherapy, Nutrition and Dietetics, and Optometry after a period of five or six years of University education, remains at home for additional two to three years or more pending when him/her is able to secure placement in any of the accredited hospitals. This unnecessary delay occasioned by the irregularities in the process is uncalled for and grossly unacceptable.
       More worrisome is the trending development, in which University teaching hospitals, Federal Medical Centers, National hospital as well as State and Central/Specialist hospitals accredited for training interns/House officers are now in the habit of selecting just a few candidates out of the total quota approved for that center, the remaining slots not been accounted for. As if all this were not enough, these hospitals also sell their forms for as high as N5000, to a vast population of eligible candidates, only to appoint less than ten percent of the applicants that purchase this form, leaving the larger number of the candidates helpless.
       Prospective interns/house officers continuously risk their lives traveling Nationwide in a bid to attend various interviews across the six geo-political zones of the Nation. Needless to say is the financial burden upon the non-occupationally engaged candidates which includes the cost of transportation, hotel bills and the likes. More saddening is the negative outcome of the supposed interview, in which the candidates are disappointed with little or no hope of securing placement. Obviously, it is not a question of a candidate’s incompetency or inability to pass the said interview, however, the disappointment can be attributed to multiple factors such as:
I.          the politics that is inherent in the hospital management board,
II.        The small size capacity of most of the hospital's Laboratory, which for instance, may not be able to cater for or contain all the intern Medical Laboratory scientist, and so many other unforeseen factors.


Unarguably, this appear to be tantamount to exploiting the helpless candidates financially, who are in dire need of securing placement for the mandatory one year internship/housemanship program which precedes the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
                Furthermore, by virtue of this delay in securing placement and the irregularities in the process, prospective interns/house officers are going through hard times, wasting at home, getting weary and are seen like people who never actually graduated from school since they are not going to service immediately as this is what is obtainable among fresh university graduates.
We wish to strongly express our dissatisfaction in the process of appointing interns/house officers adopted by most hospitals in Nigeria, as this piece of proposal is driven by both real life experiences by members and the undue hardship in which we are subjected to before barely securing placement.
Prospective interns/house officers under the aegis of Prospective Interns/House Officers association of Nigerian (PIHAN) are therefore humbly requesting for the Federal government, National University Commission (NUC) and the various governing council bodies to urgently step into the situation and resolve this crisis by regulating internship/housemanship for the entire Medical graduates in Nigeria.
Haven highlighted the enormous challenges bedeviling the PIHANITES, below are our few recommendations to aid in the regulation of the entire process.
      
Recommendations
1.      The need for the proper regulation of  the mandatory one year Internship/housemanship program  like the National Youth Service Corps, warrant a proactive  body to be constituted and be charged with the duty of posting medical graduates to accredited hospitals nationwide. This can be achieved through the concerted efforts and cooperation of Federal government, National University Commission and all governing council bodies of the various disciplines.
2.     The said body above will work closely with the various governing council bodies/Universities to ensure the Universities adhere strictly to the regulations of the council bodies as regards intake into the various disciplines, so as to control the output which should be a function of the number and available accredited hospitals.
3.     The examination administered to prospective interns/house officers who have been so provisionally licensed by their council body is not necessary. Posting of prospective interns/house officers will be of best interest. Such that once posted, implies automatic appointment.
4.    By virtue of number three above, professional/final professional exams in all Universities across the Nation for all disciplines should receive maximum supervision from council bodies.
5.     The maximum carrying capacity of each accredited hospital Nationwide should be on record to facilitate posting.
6.    By virtue of number five above, where appropriate, all teaching hospitals should be so directed to absorb all her prospective interns/house officers with spill over posted to other non-teaching accredited hospitals.
7.     Final degree exams in medical schools nationwide should be administered quarterly and within a certain period in a bid to synchronize the graduation of prospective house officers and appropriate placement within that period.
8.    If possible, the salary structure/welfare packages for interns in all hospitals should be synchronized to reduce the monopoly of interest in certain hospitals.
9.    The governing council can also increase the number of accredited hospitals for internship placements so as to cater for the teaming populace of medical graduates.

Source: Nairaland
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28 يوليو 2015

Photochemistry Of Vision: The Chemistry Of Vision

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Before light reaches the retina it must pass through the optical media of the eye (cornea, aqueous humor, lens and vitreous humor).
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26 يوليو 2015

Eye Drops and Ointments



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Eye drops and ointments are indicated to produce a local effect directly on the eye. They are prescribed to treat many symptoms affecting the eyes including: Redness, Infections, Dry eye, Discharge,
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  1. The patient should wash his or her hands thoroughly before eye drop administration. To make the procedure easier, use a mirror or ask someone
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We are in a century were every information we want is gotten through the use of computers, tablets, etc in our homes and
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The Aging Eye



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As one ages, certain eye changes that are attributed to the aging process starts occurring. In old people, visual changes due to refractive error is one of the most frequent reasons for consultation with an eye care practitioner and
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What You Should Know About Glaucoma



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Just as hypertension is commonly called high blood pressure, glaucoma is simply high eye pressure that threatens vision. Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the whole world.
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Ocular Complications and Side Effects of Topical Steroid Eye Drops



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Corticosteroids are important therapeutic agents that are used to treat ocular inflammation. Their complications are related to dosage and duration of therapy because usually, no serious adverse effect is observed
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Antiglaucoma Therapy: Topical And Systemic


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Treatment of glaucoma is based on the assumption that lowering intraocular pressure currently is the most important thing an eye doctor can do for the patient. At the present time, benefits such as improved blood flow or direct neuroprotection of retinal ganglion cells are secondary considerations when choosing primary therapy for patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma.
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Steroid Antibiotic Eye Drop Combinations



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The advantage of topical steroid and antibiotic combinations is that when decision is taken to administer such drugs combination, there is greater patient compliance and convenience with the added assurance that the appropriate dosage of both the drugs are in the same formulation, compatibility of ingredients is assured and the correct volume of drug is delivered and retained.
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Anti allergic Drugs: Topical And Systemic



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Ocular allergic represents a variety of problems that are primarily type-1 hypersensitivity reactions (IgE mediated) which results in histamine release causing variety of uncomfortablesymptoms and sometime life-threatening complications.
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Inflammation is the vascular and cellular response of the tissues to injury (endogenous and exogenous stimuli). Response to the injury is by production and release of many inflammatory mediators such as mast cells, lymphocytes, leukocytes, compliment, histamines, plasma kinins, proteolytic enzymes etc.
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Ophthalmic Antiviral Therapy: Topical And Systemic




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Ocular viral infections have become a major cause of corneal blindness in the developed as well as developing countries.
Viruses do not only take nutrition from their hostcell but also direct its metabolic machinery to synthesize new virus particles. Viral chemotherapy is therefore difficulty as it would require interference with cellular metabolism in the host.


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Antibiotic Eye Drops For Eye Infections



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The general principles of management of infection in any part of the body also apply to the eye infection. An accurate diagnosis is necessary before selecting the most effective antibiotic. Most of the commercially available antibiotics are safe if used at proper concentration. 
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