– As Dortemag holds infectious disease forum
A consultant paediatrician has called on the federal government and stakeholders in the health sector to step up public enlightenment on the severity of sepsis.
Speaking at the 2018 Annual Infectious Diseases forum organised by Dortemag Pharma Limited at Radisson Blu Hotel, GRA Ikeja, Lagos on 27 June, Dr Efunbo Dosekun, chief executive officer, Outreach Women and Children Hospital, described sepsis as a life-threatening complication of an infection.
“Sepsis occurs when chemicals released into the bloodstream to fight the infection trigger inflammatory responses throughout the body.
“Today, Sepsis is the biggest killer of children in the world. All forms of disorder, from viral illness, fungi and severe malaria can lead to Sepsis. It often gets to a point you fear the body doesn’t belong to you again,” she said.
While reiterating that the condition is under-reported in the society, she stated that looking after patients is a collective responsibility.
“People with such condition often show up at the pharmacy with complaints of flu, fever or malaria. The thought of hospital comes up only when the ailment becomes acute.
“Unfortunately, our health sector is plagued by poor funding, misdiagnoses, superstition, poor education and no proper awareness campaign,” she lamented.
Also speaking at the event, Dr Oluseyi Adesola, head of medicine department, Mainland Hospital, Lagos, called for empathy from health professionals.
“Some doctors are still living in the past; they think everything they say or do should be accepted without question. That is wrong!
“We need to start engaging patients, explaining what they are passing through and why you are administering a particular course of treatment. We need to come down to their level,” he stressed.
In a related development, Jackson Teh, business development manager (ethical division), Kotra Pharma, Malaysia, has declared that given the range of high quality medicines available to patients across the globe, it is unacceptable for medical professionals to attribute death of any patient to adverse drug reaction.
Teh, a pharmacist, added that unless proven otherwise, pharmacists and doctors are always on the lookout for safe, quality and affordable drugs for their patients.
“From generics to innovator brands, health professionals are open to several options. Therefore, quoting the words of Dr Vladimir Lepakhin, dying from a disease is sometimes unavoidable. But, dying from an adverse drug reaction is totally unacceptable.”
“That said, it must also be noted that long term use of substandard antibiotics or poor storage of antibiotics could lead to bacterial resistance and sometimes, organ damage,” Teh said.
Some dignitaries at the event included Prof. Fola Tayo, chairman of the occasion; Pharm. Oluseye Agboola, chairman, Dortemag Pharma; Pharm. Olabisi Opanuga, director of pharmacy, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH); Pharm. Samuel Ojuoko, director of pharmaceutical service and Mrs Dorcas Agboola, managing director of Dortemag Pharma.
With 36 years of pharmaceutical experience, Kotra Pharma was incorporated in 1982 and initially specialised in distribution of pharmaceutical products throughout Malaysia.
In 1985, Kotra ventured into the manufacturing of pharmaceutical products. Since then, it has become a successful and reputable manufacturer and distributor of prescribed and non-prescribed pharmaceutical products.
