The Medical Director of Wasiha Medical Centre, Dr. Idris Mohammed, has disclosed that there are illnesses a child might be suffering from today that could have some negative effects that will follow them tomorrow if not properly treated.
He said good health is a great wealth that cannot be overemphasised, especially when it concerns the health of a child.
Speaking in an interview with Newsline in his office recently, Dr. Idris Mohammed, who lamented that the economy of the country was unusual, stressed that "we are in unusual times and people are facing many problems financially and otherwise, but it will be an irony of situation if we have an economic downturn that subjects a child to unnecessary trauma, which may eventually result in severe morbidity and mortality rates.
"Today we are practicing evidence-based medicine. Parents should pay proper attention to their children's illnesses. Parents must first accept that they have a responsibility to their children, and the earlier they begin to discharge those responsibilities, the better," he added.
He went on by saying that chicken pox, which many children suffered from, and if not properly treated, by the time the child grows into adulthood, he or she will begin to have what we call shingles, or small rashes, and these were the things that were supposed to have been taken care of very early in childhood.
Dr. Idris further stated that children suffer from one illness or another without proper attention, and this eventually results in growth retardation, explaining that instead of having a normal, well-built child, the child has a very small stature and is not looking healthy.
He said what we called mental development in a child was not only in terms of physical development but also in brain development; "therefore, that child, if he goes to school, will not be able to catch up with other children who have developed normally because there is stunted growth, not only in physical structure but also in mental development.".
He warned that delay in treating a disease will result in some other uneventful things that you could not expect and might even cause more harm than good for a child and even the parents.
The medical director also said some diabetics found in adult patients linger from childhood, but since they were not properly managed or discovered on time, they eventually followed the child into adulthood; hence, parents should not hesitate to take their children to a certified hospital for proper medical attention, he warned.
Niger State Governor, Mohammed Umaru Bago, has taken his 'back to farm' campaign a notch higher by calling on security agencies to join in his agricultural revolution by engaging in farming, saying the state will provide them with lands to tap the wealth inherent in agriculture.
The governor made the call today at Government House, Minna, when Nigeria's Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar, paid him a courtesy visit.
Governor Bago told his visitor that his administration has made agriculture the driver of his development agenda because of the massive endowment of fertile lands, large bodies of water, and friendly climate the state is blessed with.
He then called on the Air Chief to encourage his servicemen and women to key into the government agricultural programme to tap the wealth in it.
The governor also acknowledged the tremendous help the Nigerian Air Force has rendered to the state and described his visit as a testament that Niger State was not forsaken.
He called for continuous surveillance by the air force and disclosed that his government will continue to provide all the necessary support to the air force to realise its goals.
He disclosed further that the state government was also working with all security agencies to closely monitor the borders to stop criminals from entering the state, adding that the activities of artisanal miners were being curbed.
The governor then informed the chief of air staff that money had been appropriated for the completion of housing units he promised the service, and said arrangements were also in place to hand over the 1,000 hectares of land allocated to them.
The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Hassan Bala Abubakar, commended Governor Bago for his support and commitment to synergize with the service and said the Nigerian air force will not relent in its efforts and renewed vigour in bombarding terrorist camps in the state.
Air Marshal Abubakar disclosed that additional troops will be deployed to Niger State to strengthen the fight against terrorists and that the air force will continue to work in synergy with other security agencies in its fight to end the insurgency.
He commended the governor for his people-oriented policies, which he described as initiatives that align with the federal government's approach to tackling insecurity.
