The Man With 'Kerosene' Foot

So today a man walked in to see me. He was limping and wincing as he walled to my table.

He had been living with diabetes for sometime now. He was a uniformed service personnel.
All his health parameters were normal apart from his blood glucose levels.
This man every doctor's dream patient. He was a partner in his care and very adherent. So because of that I knew something was off.
He went on to explain that he had a sore on the sole of his feet. The sore had been there for about a week.
This conversation ensued:
Likita: Oga being a diabetic,have you been counselled on care of your feet?
Patient: Yes,Likita
Likita: Oga are you always reminded on the importance of caring for your feet every time you visit the clinic?
Patient: Yes, Likita, walahi
Likita: Oga were you told the consequences of not caring for your feet?
Patient:Yes,Likita,walahi
Likita: Please remind me of all you were told about caring for your feet. One by one.
Patient: The first one was i should inspect my feet daily to lookout for any 'ciwo'(meaning sores) and also if I have any injury on my feet I should see the doctor.
Likita:Good. Ze n ta pa mu ka hanu. I clapped for him. I commended him remembering that.
So what happened to your leg?
Patient: Likita walahi, I got injured and because it was a minor injury I decided to treat it with kerosene and palm oil. I was told it will kill the wound.
Likita:Was it a doctor who told you about kerosene treatment?
Patient: No
Likita: So kerosene and palm oil did not work, the wound got worse, you are in pains, and you cannot go to work too. How do enjoy it? You are experincing much suffering.

Patient: Likita, walahi na sha wuya. I am really suffering

Dr dileem :'OGA PREVENTION I BETTER THAN CURE.KA EDA(DO YOU AGREE)?
Patient: Na eda (I agree). I won't make such mistake again.

Dr Dileem says 'once one understands his mistake and the consequences, he will not likely repeat it'

Vernacular used is Hausa Language.

Dr Dileem
The Likita Bokanturai
Kano Nigeria

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How healthy is your heart

September 29,World heart day.
So,How Healthy is your heart??

Heart choices are not hard choices.
Healthy heart choices for everyone everywhere.
Heart day is part of an international campaign to spread awareness about heart disease and stroke prevention.

The heart is the pumping machine behind our bodies. If it fails then the body is in trouble. Care and conscious steps must be taken to live with healthy hearts.
This year, World Heart Day’s theme is CREATING HEART-HEALTHY ENVIRONMENTS. The conditions in which we live, work and play should not increase our risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). But individuals frequently have to make heart-healthy choices.
Of importance is healthy food. I am a proponent of Low salt, Low fat and oils,No sugar food options.
I am a firm believer in the miracle of exercise.
I believe in lifestyle modifications for long life.
I believe in no smoking to improve heart health.

Once you are 18yrs and above I recommend you see a family physician and get your blood pressure checked. Don't just check your blood pressure one of,but regularly. Find out the state of your heart. The stories we hear of apparently healthy young people who die suddenly or collapsed suddenly is on the rise in Nigeria. There is stress,yes but you also have a responsibility to yourself and to your heart.

Dr Dileem says 'NO TO BROKEN HEARTS'

Dr Dileem
The Likita Bokanturai
Kano Nigeria

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Lets face it, those close to us abuse drugs

Today September 27,2015 I was invited to this stakeholder meeting and open session organised by the Joint Action Committee On Anti Drug and Substance Abuse at American Corner of Murtala Muhammed Library Kano.It was in honour of Celebration of National Peace Day.
The theme was 'Sensitisation Campaign on Drug and Substance Abuse'.  September 2015.

On the high table were leaders of various Non Governmental Organisations.

Those in attendance made lots of suggestions in Hausa and in English.
I was opportuned to make a speech:
Good morning everyone.
I am delighted to be here as a stakeholder and as a medical practitioner.
The substance and drug abuse indices for Kano state are very high. It is abysmal and we in Kano are the only ones who can change the status quo.
Whether we like it or not,we are all related to substance abusers.
Let me talk to the mothers first because the hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.
For every mother present, if you have a child who leaves for school daily, be sure you check the child's bag every day. Check hidden sections of the bag.Look our for crevices, strangely sewn up sections,places cut open with razor blade. You may just find a stash there.
The manifestations of drug and substance abuse are protean and a multipronged approach should be use to prevent and tackle it.
From experience, drug and substance abuse is a chronic disease. It has to be managed for life in many cases. Rehabilitation for these group of people is so expensive

So let us focus on generationext. By this i mean the group of youngsters who have not been exposed to drug and substance abuse.
Drug and substance abuse is a problem of peers groups. It is not about a mother telling her child not to do drugs.
Let us target them through social media. Lately our youth have disappeared from Facebook as they started seeing their parents,uncles,aunties and grandparents on face book. They have gone to watsapp ,2go,twitter and others.
We can create sensitisation campaign platforms using watsapp,2go,twitter to reach our youngsters. These campaigns should be in English, Hausa and Arabic.

There should be a collaboration with popular Hausa musicians to produce world standard hausa songs sensitising our communities on drug and substance abuse. Most songs I learnt as a youngster are still imprinted in my memory till date. Do you all agree that is happens to you too?(A chorused YES and applause echoed)

Lastly, we should produce short movies in partnership with well loved KANNYWOOD actors and actresses. I can write beautiful scripts for story lines. These short movies will be aimed at the local hausawa family who watches KANNYWOOD, AREWA, etc. They will also be aimed at the local woman who stays at home and cannot figure out tell tale signs of drug abuse in her child. When she sees these movies she would be better informed, empowered and better positioned to battle drug and substance abuse in her own territory. We could also in partnership with animation companies design and produce cartoons in hausa or get already made cartoons and translate to Hausa.
We must win against the destruction of the Nigerian youth by drug and substance abuse.
Thank you

Dr Dileem says 'God bless Nigeria'

Dr Dileem

The Likita Bokanturai

Kano Nigeria

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World Sepsis Day

At work, we celebrated the World Sepsis Day usually marked yearly on September 14.
We had a seminar and there were various speakers including Dr. Saidu representing Kano State  Commissioner for health, Dr Aminu Dau of the State Ministry of health, Dr Nashabaru of Pulmonology and infectious diseases, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital Kano, Dr Binta CMO of MMSH.
Dr Binta said in a study done in Murtala Muhammed specialist hospital Kano among under fives,60% of sepsis were confimed to be caused by salmonella.

The Honourable Commissioner's speech was delivered by his representative:
Sepsis kills 50% of victims. Worldwide,50 persons die of sepsis hourly.
The theme: 'Sepsis,Prevent it,Spot it and Beat it' is appropriate.
Challenges we face are inappropriate or inadequate action,inadequate facilities, etc. Control requires a multidisciplinary approach by the general public and health workers.
Hand washing,Use of gloves,sterilisation,use of appropriate antibiotics,guidelines, surveillance and action cannot be overemphasised.
I would like to thank the Kano State Chapter of Surviving Sepsis campaign.
Our Support to fight sepsis will lead to prevention and improve response to sepsis.
In light of this the Kano State Government has donated:
*Cleansing materials to all Kano state hospitals
*Restructured sewage system in Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospitals which is the biggest,busiest hospital in the West Africa.
*Completion of Giginyu and Zoo Road hospital
*Empowerment of existing health institutions
*Ensure every Local Government has a secondary health facility
*Renovation of equipments in existing hospitals
*Empowerment of existing health institutions
*Improve and sustain free maternal and child health in the state.
I call on all health workers in the state to be vigilant. Special commendation to Matron Halima Aminu Kabasa of ICU AKTH for her immense efforts at combating sepsis and on her award.
Our government will continue to fund projects to impact the lives of people in Kano State.
All hands must be on deck to prevent ,identify and promptly treat sepsis.

Dr Dileem says 'stop sepsis'. I am also calling on Donor agencies who are into sepsis control to please come to our aid.

Dr Dileem

The Likita Bokanturai

Kano Nigeria

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What do you do with 'Coins' in your possession

I was strolling the streets as a sojourner,just sight seeing and asking questions through 'pidgin hausa' and desperate 'sign language'.

I stumbled on this pawn shop and and behold lots of coins were being sold there. There were lots of people buying these coins.My curiosity took over and I gathered  there was high demand for them.

I saw coins from all parts of the world, old Nigeria and the New Nigeria.Coins coins coins.
I even remembered a caricature picture that went wild on social media when the then CBN Governor wanted Nigerians to start collecting coins from ATM. Thank God it did not happen. *laughs*.It would have created free products for this pawn shop.
All the coins in my possession, I kept for posterity sake to show my children and right before my eyes these coins were used to make money.
In fact the times I go to Shoprite  Kano they insist on adding coins to my change all the time. Which was annoying to me as I felt it was just a waste of my hard earned money.
I went on to ask what the coins were being used for and I managed to understand that there were melted to make jewelry. Wow!!
Bronze coins were mellted to make bronze jewelry. Silver coins were melted to make silver jewellery. Gold coins were melted to make gold jewellery. Then the big bang was that the silver or bronze could be used to adulterate the gold in cases of those without scruples.
Most of these coins were from Nigerians who brought them in exchange for money. Many of these people are those who never believed in banks.Those who stored there money in dug out holes under their beds and did not realise they had to get to the banks to exchange their monies until they realised their monies were now declared invalid in the Nigerian money market!
Another set was from those who traveled abroad and had not need for the coins on return as the 'bureau de change' dealers are not interested in coins.
Happily I left the place knowing the my valid and invalid coins still had some value in Nigeria.

Dr Dileem says 'Cherish all your coins'. They are of more value than you can think.

Dr Dileem

The Likita Bokanturai

Kano Nigeria

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Saudi Arabia Hajj Tragedy

It was such a sad day at work.
Today being Monday, I happily went to work an anticipation of my sallah meat. *Big grin*
Then a colleague called to say she lost some relatives at Saudi Stampede and was going for 'Gesuwa' and won't be able to make it to work.
Then another called in and another.
That was when I thought to myself, the stampede is even affecting me here in Kano faa!. It has indirectly increased my workload on a Monday with 4 days of light work being Thursday and Friday the Sallah public holidays and Saturday and Sunday being weekends. Omg, Smh!
On getting to work, colleagues present were in hurry mode to get patients seen and hurry to close so they too for their own 'Gesuwa'.
Gesuwa' is greeting literally in Hausa. When one's relative-(by that I mean anyone you relate with by blood,work,etc) passes on you are expected to go visit the family within 7days and show your condolences.. It is not compulsory from my understanding but you will be marked as an offender if you don't.
My sincere condolences are with the bereaved families. May their souls rest in perfect peace. May God console their families.

Dr Dileem says in all things, it is well!!
Of course sallah meat expectation died a natural death

Dr Dileem

The Likita Bokanturai

Kano Nigeria

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