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Lagos NMA Chairman Olowojebutu, medical experts advocates more support for LUPUS SLE patients

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2 years ago

October 18, 2022

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The Lagos Chairman Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Dr. Benjamen Olowojebutu and other medical experts have urged Nigerians not to ignore warning symptoms of health problems especially lupus but to seek medical help right on time.

Dr. Olowojebutu championed the call for early diagnosis and detection of lupus to help protect the patient before the case worsens at an health parley held at Ikeja GRA on Tuesday,theme: A Journey to a Lupus free World, at a Lupus Independence awareness edition organized by Lupus Remedies Global Support Foundation (LUREG) .

The Lagos NMA Chairman Olowojebutu counsel Nigerians against the wrongly held notion that people with autoimmune diseases suffer spiritual attacks and are branded Ogbanje or Emere, he maintained that such should seek help.

Olowojebutu said that: “I want people to know that, you should seek help on time, it is not Ogbanje or Emere, when you see symptoms on your body see the specialist on time, don’t wait until it affects other organs of the body.

“People don’t get doctors involved on time till case worsens, many will say they are drinking agbo because the symptoms are not the same.

“I am glad that we are having lupus supporting system in LUREG now, where people can come and share their experiences and victory with other encountering same health challenges will get encouraged.

“If you have any uncommon symptom that is not regular see a specialist ,it is not the chemist, not the herbal medicine, not Iya alagbo that will help you, see a doctor so that you can start getting results on time for help and for support.”

Commenting on the fact that lupus is more chronic with those within the young age bracket 16 years and below, Olowojebutu counseled that parents and care givers should ensure they give more of counselling and friendly environment for the lupus patient.

“Support is very key, once the parents have lupus the children can have neonatal autoimmune disease, it just affect the child and such becomes hypertensive at a very early age so they need a lot of support.

“They need a lot of counselling because it can lead to depression, in such situation they need functional support system, adequate information, adequate nutrition and support from care givers and family.

“Families should not call them unusual names and government should support them with good laws because they are going through a lot.

“I want to advise us as a nation, a community take special recognition of people with autoimmune disease, we must start looking for them to give required support.

Dr. Henry Ekpenyong the Senior Registrar LASUTH Rheumatology Unit in a chat with newsmen at the forum, spoke about the symptoms which ranges from skin rash, typhoid malaria syndrome, pregnancy loses, loss of hair and that lupus affects any organ of the body.

“You can have lupus manifest in any organ of the body, from the hair, eyes, digestive systems and all. The onus lies on parent s to observe the changes in their wards.

“The symptoms are slightly different with the paediatric SLE- those below 16 years old, even those in the neonatal period most times have blockage of the heart, it is a lupus symptom.

While delivering a paper titled ‘Lupus a Long Disease, Treatment and Management at the forum, Dr.Babatunde Oladayo the Senior Registrar Rheumatology LASUTH harps on the need to know that lupus disease has no cure and more severe with the blacks .

“Autoimmune diseases are more than 200, they can affect any part of the body, we deal with multi systemic ones. They are chronic diseases not acute diseases. Unfortunately this diseases are lifelong diseases. Immune system, given to protect us against diseases get overpowered.

“Childhood lupus, paediatric lupus, symptoms are very intense in children, posing damaging effects.

“Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), affect women more than men and those within the reproductive age group of life are the worse hit, majority of patients are spotted from puberty stage.

“Recent study unveil a new dimension, it tends to be more severe in blacks. The cause of the disease is not known till now and it has no cure, with many range of manifestations.

An ace actor Chief Adebayo Salami popularly known as Oga Bello, was also on hand to support the foundation.

The seventy years old entertainment star disclosed that much reliance and trust in God and strict adherence to usage of prescribed medications made him healthy till date, not minding the fact that he has been hypertensive since the age 28.

He noted that the health challenge was though hereditary yet his father and mother lived above 100 years before they passed on.

Oga Bello however, pledged more awareness support for the foundation through the entertainment industry adding there is still hope for them.

Earlier in her opening address the Director LUREG Support Foundation Mrs. Olubukola Sanusi call on well meaning Nigerians and government to give more support to the lupus patients.

“I am a Champion of Systemic lupus erythematosus an inflammatory disease for 12 months , it is caused when the immune system attacks it’s own tissues, it has no cure. Lupus SLE can affect the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells,brain,heart and lungs.

“I have already given up, but thanks to those with lupus who pulled through who are very close to my doctors, my case is like one having 200 wicklows breathing at the same time with sudden pains,I suffer stiffness issue often and Mala rash.

“Our case is peculiar,we can’t eat for long, stand too much or sleep for long, I must not sleep for four hours at a stretch. We hurt easily and forgive easily, LUPUS rediscovered me, I knew what it means and choose not remain in pain.

“It came with blessings and lessons all you encounter in life, when you speak out you get solutions, don’t bottle up whatever you are going through.”

A parent whose daughter Adenuga Sekinat suffer lupus disease, Mr. Adenuga explained his ordeal citing the need for government to give more support.

“We parents need see a psychologist, it got to a stage I was about running mad because of my daughter’s health challenge, but for LUREG things would not have been okay.

“My daughter was lying down crying Daddy help me, but I can’t do anything LASHMA afforded an opportunity that safe my child, many have passed on, don’t do self medication.”

Another lupus champion Miss Morenikeji Akanni a graduate of Taiye Solarin University of Education (TASUED) with 4.38 CGPA also narrated his ordeal.

“I was leaving my normal life before lupus took me,I was involved in almost all athletic activities, but later discovered that I get tired easily coupled with joint pains.

“Someone directed us to a woman in Shagamu a dermatologist who wrote that I take a particular test in Lagos where I discovered it was Lupus.

“The right medication were not given, early April the situation was getting worse, I had to be brought from Oshogbo to be treated in Lagos.

“I urge that you go to the hospital immediately you spot it, don’t do self medication, go for check up. I have already given up on myself but for an encounter with Mrs Sanusi I told myself I won’t die.

“ I intend to write a book and impact others, as well as go for my master’s. “