Vital Signs with Chidindu Mmadu-Okoli

Chidindu Mmadu-Okoli
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  • HEALTH & FITNESS
Vital Signs with Chidindu Mmadu-Okoli Podcast

An audio show for health practitioners, patients and the public, which aims at using their stories to humanize healthcare, so that practitioners remain relevant to give patient-centred care, patients are treated with dignity, and the general public can embrace healthy lifestyles through shareable, memorable, and relatable stories.

  1. VSP 10: Portion or Poison? Understanding How Drugs Work and the Dangers of Abuse

    18/03/2021

    VSP 10: Portion or Poison? Understanding How Drugs Work and the Dangers of Abuse

    Drug abuse is first and most importantly, an issue of public health concern, especially among young people. With several socioeconomic factors which compound to reduce the quality of life in Nigeria, people often settle for cheaper drugs without proper diagnosis. Sometimes drugs are used for the wrong purposes. Other times, doses of drugs like antimicrobials ara not completed by users. On the 23rd of December, 2020, I decided to engage with an expert who understands the science of how drugs work and are made to help dissect this issue of drug abuse, the process of making certain drugs so that listeners can understand the dangers of abusing common, over-the-counter medicines in Nigeria. Professor Busayo Olayinka is a Professor of Pharmaceutical Microbiology at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria. We both are 2019 Science Communication Fellows of the African Science Literacy Network. Our conversation is simply out of the passion to see that the people around us make conscious, healthy choices through the safe use of medicines. Got questions on this episode? Ask or engage with me on Twitter, @iamchidindu or send a mail to chidindu.mo@gmail.com. Do not forget to share this episode with friends and loved ones in your network.

    39 min
  2. VSP09: Beyond The Headlines- News and Health Literacy for Nigerian Citizens with Buchi Onyegbule

    05/05/2020

    VSP09: Beyond The Headlines- News and Health Literacy for Nigerian Citizens with Buchi Onyegbule

    It often starts with a forwarded post on Whatsapp, then it makes its way to Twitter, Facebook and all the other social/online/offline platforms. Just as in the days of the Ebola Virus Disease in 2014, lots of Nigerians still underestimate the harm that unverified news can cause. Fake news with the most salacious clickbait headlines gradually spread like wildfire.  We still have people who believe what is too good to be true. Only a few Nigerians pause to check and verify. Sadly, even when we discover the lies and loopholes and the headline-and-body-of-text discordance in most stories, they would have spread too far for a "media fire service" to contain. With COVID-19, our weakened levels of news and health literacy in Nigeria are gradually revealed. It is no longer news, that we are not just battling and distancing from a pandemic, we are also battling infodemics and distancing from fake news, negatively-inciting clickbait headlines and the after-effects to these narratives. In this episode of The Vital Signs podcast, I had a mind-blowing conversation with Buchi Onyegbule: a broadcast journalist, former host of The Morning Mojo at WEFM 106.3 Abuja, FCT and currently the Head of African Operations at Narrative4 Inc. In this conversation, Buchi shares very practical lessons and insights on: Why we have lots of click-bait headlines in the Nigerian news industry The harm(s) that doctored (health) stories can cause us as a nation. Practical steps that Nigerians should take to identify fake health news and stories driven by propaganda to incite negative emotions and actions. The roles of media professionals and media houses in creating credible stories The various measures that the government can take in ensuring proper news literacy To connect with Buchi Onyegbule, please reach out on Twitter with the handle @buchionyebule Got questions? Please tweet at me on @iamchidindu or send a mail with the subject “VSP” or “Vital Signs Podcast” to chidindu.mo@gmail.com.   Join the community of health providers and health enthusiasts. Beyond The Couch Africa with the link https://bit.ly/beyondthecouchafrica. Please, do not forget to share with anyone who needs to learn from this.

    53 min
  3. VSP08: Tackling The COVID-19 Pandemic In Nigeria Through Government and Citizens' Response

    30/03/2020

    VSP08: Tackling The COVID-19 Pandemic In Nigeria Through Government and Citizens' Response

    Today, Monday, the 30th day of March 2020, I had a great time rubbing minds with Obum Mekowulu live from the studios of Alpha Radio 106.5 FM, Nnobi, Anambra State, where we had crucial conversations on Tackling Coronavirus Pandemic In Nigeria: Government and Citizens' Response My narrative arc was structured around building sustainable healthcare systems and Nigeria's National Action Plan for Health Security. Thankful to Mr Ebubechukwuzuloke Brown, who had asked that I be engaged in this conversation. I feel honoured to be sounding this gong of #PreventEpidemicsNaija and highlighting the importance of implementing the #NAPHS strategy document at all levels, for a healthy nation. Got questions? Please tweet at me on @iamchidindu or send a mail with the subject “VSP” or “Vital Signs Podcast” to chidindu.mo@gmail.com.   Join the community of health providers and health enthusiasts. Beyond The Couch Africa with the link https://bit.ly/beyondthecouchafrica. Please, do not forget to share with anyone who needs to learn from this. We. Keep. Pushing.

    42 min
  4. VSP07: Don't Die on Duty 2: Caring for The Health Care Provider, With Mr. Emmanuel Akpe

    10/03/2020

    VSP07: Don't Die on Duty 2: Caring for The Health Care Provider, With Mr. Emmanuel Akpe

    What happens when our healthcare givers burn out? Who cares for them? How do they balance life, work and all the demands that come with these in the face of the current Nigerian economy? This episode, Don’t Die on Duty 2, is a sequel to the last episode Don’t Die on Duty 1, where a physician shared his burn-out story on his call duty. As someone who is in love with solution-based narratives, I did not just want to highlight the issues of burnout experienced by healthcare providers; I also wanted to go further to have conversations with a Stress Management Expert. Mr Akpe Emmanuel C. is the Founder and Director of Zumalema Biotechnologies, a stress and health management firm in Abuja. He is also a medical laboratory scientist, a serial author, a radio and television analyst on stress management and an internationally sought-after conference speaker on issues around stress and burnouts. In this episode, he shares: Why he chose the path of stress management The most common kinds and underlying causes of stress among Nigerian health care providers Insights from his books, Office Palaver and The Stress Manager’s Guide for Nigerian health care providers or caregivers who work a 9-to-5. [9-to-5?  Nigerian practitioners now work a “when-you-wake-up-until-when-you-drop-dead” schedule] Recommendations for employers and human resource managers in the healthcare settings on the need for regulating manhours, monitoring workloads and enforcing periods of rest in the day-to-day work life. Challenges of younger medical/health colleagues in the hands of senior colleagues. How can older colleagues cooperate with the younger ones, instead of dumping or pushing responsibilities to the younger ones? Day-to-day life hacks for stress management. Group/individual stress management program for those who want a work-life balance. To connect with Mr Emmanuel Akpe, please reach out on Facebook or Telegram. Got questions? Please tweet at me on @iamchidindu or send a mail with the subject “VSP” or “Vital Signs Podcast” to chidindu.mo@gmail.com.   Join the community of health providers and health enthusiasts. Beyond The Couch Africa with the link https://bit.ly/beyondthecouchafrica. Please, do not forget to share with anyone who needs to learn from this. CREDITS: I am grateful to the VOPE team at BCON Experience for editing this episode. I have been up to a lot lately.

    53 min
  5. VSP06: Don't Die on Duty: A Physician's Burnout Story, With Dr. Gabriel Onyeka Ibe

    06/01/2020

    VSP06: Don't Die on Duty: A Physician's Burnout Story, With Dr. Gabriel Onyeka Ibe

    What happens when the caregiver on duty becomes the patient? Or, worse still, what if the caregiver dies on duty? This episode of The Vital Signs Podcast takes us back to the story of a young doctor in 2014, employed in a Nigerian military hospital as a house officer, in the face of a 10-day-in-a-row, drop-dead call duty schedule, per rotation, for each house-officer. With this crazy call-duty roster, he ends up at the accident and emergency (A and E) section of the hospital, in the hands of his brothers, fellow house-officers. The doctor, who under normal circumstances is to be found setting an (Intravenous) IV line on a patient, becomes the one whose vein receives same treatment. Sadly, the demands of work, as well as several other factors, requires that he steps back into duty after spending some time in the A and E. Dr. Gabriel Onyeka Ibe is a family medicine physician and a registrar-in-training with the St Henles and Knowsley Trust, United Kingdom. He earned his MBBS degree from the University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria and proceeded to commence his housemanship at Military Hospital Lagos. He further went to work in the Murtala Mohammed Hospital, Kano, Kano and completed his service with the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) in Kano State. Before his relocation to the United Kingdom, Dr. Ibe worked as a Medical Officer in Paelon Memorial Hospital, Lagos, and also served in a few missions, including as a member of the medical team of the National Christian Pilgrim Commission (NCPC) to Israel. In This Episode He: Shares his journey as a caregiver, his burnout and recovery story. Highlights the underlying causes of physician burnouts, with regards to his experience Talks about his journey towards finding balance and doing things differently to relieve stress Shares his daily routine for stress management and coping with the demands of work Compares the moments and quality of care as a caregiver with that as the patient Addresses how practitioners can bring their hearts (empathy) to the work that they do, in the face of the work-related pressure Shares pieces of advice for the (new) house officer, or the medic-in-training? Got questions? Please tweet at me on @iamchidindu or send a mail with the subject “VSP” or “Vital Signs Podcast” to chidindu.mo@gmail.com. Join the community of health providers and health enthusiasts. Beyond The Couch Africa with the link https://bit.ly/beyondthecouchafrica. Do not forget to share with anyone who needs to learn from this.

    51 min
  6. VSP 05: Living Safely With Inverters: Conversations with Engrs. Ewa-Ade A. Adeyemo and Michael N. Azubuike

    18/12/2019

    VSP 05: Living Safely With Inverters: Conversations with Engrs. Ewa-Ade A. Adeyemo and Michael N. Azubuike

    Thirty-three days after I lost my parish priest, Rev. Fr. Dr. Edmund Nwagbala, to a fire explosion accident at St. Peter Claver's Catholic Church, Nnewi Anambra State, Nigeria; I am still unable to find rest. The mixed feelings of anger, sadness and misery have had the better part of me. The newspaper reports claim the cause of explosions to the inverter installations in the parish house. These leave me begging so many questions: What could have happened? What could have been done better? What could we have avoided? How do we save the next person from this unannounced and in-a-twinkle-of-an-eye agony? Weeks ago, I began a conversation on the dos and don’ts of home fire accidents with Ugochi Obidiegwu, The Safety Chic. Thereafter, I took another step, by engaging with two engineers who understand the science of inverters and inverter batteries. Engr Michael Nnamdi Azubuike is a graduate of Civil Engineering from the Federal University of Technology Owerri. He received his solar energy training from solar energy expert/lecturer, Engr. Nathaniel Okey, from the University of Brunswick, Canada. Currently, he is the CEO of General Zuby Projects, a company whose core aim is to carry out structural and solar energy contracts within and outside Nigeria. Engr. Ewa-Ade Adeyemo earned her bachelors degree in Chemical Engineering from the Covenant University, Otta, Ogun State. She is passionate about food and energy development In this episode, they have addressed: The science of inverter batteries Conditions for installing inverter batteries Factors that cause inverter explosions The problem with refilling used batteries or fake inverter batteries. Understanding inverter capacities The role of circuit breakers, voltage and surge regulators Who is qualified to fix inverter, in our buildings The need for a regulatory framework for those who are into solar energy installations Energy auditing and other requirements for solar installations in residential, commercial and public facilities. Nigerian weather and our solar panels You may further engage or work with Engr. Azubuike here on Facebook or WhatsApp. Also, follow Engr. Adeyemo on Facebook and Instagram. Got questions? Please tweet at me on @iamchidindu or send a mail with the subject “VSP” or “Vital Signs Podcast” to chidindu.mo@gmail.com. Join the community of health providers and health enthusiasts. Beyond The Couch Africa with the link https://bit.ly/beyondthecouchafrica. Do not forget to share with anyone who needs to learn from this.

    54 min
  7. VSP 04: World Toilet Day 2019. Addressing the Challenges of Open Defecation in Rural Communities

    03/12/2019

    VSP 04: World Toilet Day 2019. Addressing the Challenges of Open Defecation in Rural Communities

    On the 30th day of November 2019, I had the opportunity to share with the public on the need to address the problems of open defecation in Nigeria, with a special focus on rural communities. The World Toilet Day which holds annually on the 19th of November, has its theme for 2019 as "Leaving No One Behind". Live from the studio of Authority 91.9 FM Radio, Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria, I shared insights on: The toilet as a human right The most vulnerable people who suffer from the problems of open defecation and unsafe toilets The economic implication of open defecation in relationship with the challenges related to Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) The need for individuals, business owners and corporate organizations to undertake WASH projects as corporate social responsibilities Hand Hygiene and the WHO standard procedure for performing a proper hand wash The role of government in sponsoring and helping individuals in setting up safe toilet facilities The need for WASH volunteers or community volunteers to raise awareness through behavioral change communication The need for the maintenance culture among users of public toilets, especially in government facilities. All data shared and used in this interview are sourced from the document, "Making Nigeria Open-Defecation-Free by 2025" as developed by the Federal Ministry of Water Resources, with support from UNICEF, and in partnership with , UKAID and the European Union. You may click here to access these information. Do you have questions, comments and critique from this episode? Please tweet at me @iamchidindu Or you can send a mail with the subject "VSP" or "Vital Signs Podcast" to chidindu.mo@gmail.com Also subscribe to receive more updates by joining the community on https://bit.ly/beyondthecouchcommunity

    45 min
  8. VSP 03: Home Fire Accidents: The Dos and Donts with Ugochi Obidiegwu, aka The Safety Chic

    25/11/2019

    VSP 03: Home Fire Accidents: The Dos and Donts with Ugochi Obidiegwu, aka The Safety Chic

    Directly or indirectly, fire accidents can change our lives, for a long time or forever. On 16th November 2019, I lost my parish priest, Rev. Fr. Edmund Nwagbala, to a fire explosion in Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria. One week after, I am still in shock. How? Why? What? These are questions I have tried to answer. The online newspaper reports say the fire explosion was as a result of an overcharged inverter battery. The best way to wrap my head around these concerns, was to engage with a safety expert who could help me demystify the cause of inverter battery explosions, what to do before and after home fire accidents, as well as what not to do in this case. Ugochi Obidiegwu is a Safety Education Advocate, founder of Ulomka Multi Solutions and author of the children's safety storybook, The Adventures of Muna.  Her Safety Movement focuses on creating unique safety education products and events for African children and educators in order to intentionally groom safety conscious children. Under her watch, 5000 students in Nigeria and Ghana have been taught safety skills. She is a 2016 YALI Regional Leadership Centre Fellow for Emerging African Leaders, a 2017 finalist for the McKinsey Next Generation Woman Leader Award, a 2018 Tony Elumelu Entrepreneur and Mandela Washington Fellow; and a 2018/19 West African Regional Advisory Board member to IREX and USAID on matters relating to the Mandela Washington Fellowship. She won the AFRISAFE  Award in the Shining  Star category for her contribution to the safety industry. She is a member of the World Safety Organisation.  In this episode, @TheSafetyChic shares: 04:05 What inspired her journey to becoming a safety educator 07:08 What makes inverter batteries explode 09:19 How fire starts 10:02 Factors that increase the tendency of explosion of inverter batteries 12:46 Other household equipment capable of causing fire explosions in our homes 13:50 The important things to do during a fire outbreak, especially if it involves the death of someone 16:05 How & when to use a fire extinguisher 18:08 How to reduce smoke inhalation during fire outbreaks 16:48 What children should do during a fire outbreak 19:12 The danger of hanging around burning buildings 19:56 Getting along after a fire accident 24:22 What not to do after a fire outbreak 25:58 How to make our homes fire proof 29:46 How to factor in fire emergencies when installing metal doors 31:54 How to handle suspicious gifts 34:00 How to report fire accidents correctly 37:25 The illustrative safety story book for children &the school safety summit 43:48 Situational awareness Click to follow @TheSafetyChic on Instagram, Twitter, and Her Community Do you have questions? Please tweet @iamchidindu, or send a mail with the subject "Vital Signs Podcast" or "VSP" to chidindu.mo@gmail.com. Sign up to receive other episodes on bit/ly/beyondthecouchafrica

    48 min
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An audio show for health practitioners, patients and the public, which aims at using their stories to humanize healthcare, so that practitioners remain relevant to give patient-centred care, patients are treated with dignity, and the general public can embrace healthy lifestyles through shareable, memorable, and relatable stories.

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