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Board urges FG to establish one-stop rehabilitation centres in 6 geopolitical zones

Published

4 years ago

September 20, 2019

Mrs Akanle Olufunke, Registrar of Medical Rehabilitation Therapists Board of Nigeria (MRTBN), has urged the Federal Government to establish a One-stop rehabilitation centre the six geopolitical zones in the country.

Olufunke made the call in an interview with a correspondent of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), during the Second International Conference of Medical Rehabilitation Professionals in Abuja.

She said that with the one- stop centre if established, would enable people with disabilities, whose functions are limited to remain in their home or community for treatment.

Rehabilitation, she said, is a treatment designed to facilitate the process of recovery from injury, illness or disease to as normal a condition as possible.

”The purpose of rehabilitation is to restore some or all of the patient’s physical, sensory and mental capabilities that were lost due to injury, illness, or disease.

”It includes assisting the patient to compensate for deficits that cannot be reversed medically. It is prescribed after many types of injury, illness, or disease, including amputations, arthritis, cancer, cardiac disease, neurological problems, orthopaedic injuries, spinal cord injuries, stroke, cerebral palsy, poliomyelitis, Down syndrome, multiple sclerosis, hydrocephalus, Autism just to mention few.

“We realized that there are lots of challenges facing rehabilitation service in Nigeria and sub Sahara Africa.

“In Nigeria there is no well established national medical rehabilitation centre and I believe it’s long overdue,” Olufunke said.

The registrar said that the number of people accessing rehabilitation centre was still low for now because there are few rehabilitation centres in the country; some in tertiary institutions’ health facilities, like teaching hospitals, federal medical center and some in general hospitals.

The board is a regulatory body established to regulate and control the training and practice of seven professions in health care.

These are physiotherapists, occasional therapists, speech therapists, audiologists, orthotics and prosthetists, chiropractic as well as osteopathic medicine.

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Featured

FG woos foreign mining investors with lower production cost

Published

21 hours ago

November 28, 2023

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

Cutting red tapes which slow business transactions and improving the security of mining operations are among fresh commitments unfolded by Nigeria’s Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Oladele Alake at the Mines & Money Conference which opened in London, United Kingdom on Tuesday.

Addressing global stakeholders in the mining industry, Alake, in the 15-minute speech pitched for more investment in Nigeria listing unique advantages such as lower production cost due to surface mining and billions of dollar untapped minerals.
He quoted recent reports by audit firm KPMG which reported that mining’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP rose from 0.3 percent to 0.85 percent last year, indicating 0.63 percent year on year growth.

His words: “The country’s geological bounty encompasses over 44 distinct mineral types, found in exploitable quantities across more than 500 locations. Recently, recognizing the evolving global landscape and in response to emerging trends, Lithium has been included as a crucial strategic mineral of global consequence.”

Dr. Alake said the administration of President Bola Tinubu has embarked on reforms to boost investment by streamlining procedures and reducing hurdles to attract foreign investors.

Showcasing recent progress in creating conditions for solid minerals development, Dr. Alake highlighted fresh data revealed by the Airborne Geophysical Survey, memorandum of understanding with German firm Geoscan to gather more data on solid minerals across the country and access to finance through a new funding facility launched by the Africa Finance Corporation and the Solid Minerals Development Fund.

The minister reminded the global mining community of the Federal Government ‘s policies on how mining operations must benefit the communities and lead to processing instead of wholesale export of raw minerals.

“ Nigeria is currently emphasizing Solid Minerals Beneficiation and Value-Addition as a panacea for quick and sustainable growth of the Mining Industry…By adding value to our raw materials, we not only create higher value products but also generate employment opportunities for our teeming youth and increase the sector’s overall profitability and contribution to the nation’s GDP”, he said
Dr. Alake urged investors to support socio-economic development of the communities where they mine to make mining mutually beneficial.

Citing the recent launch of the revised guidelines for Community Development Agreement which provides for social amenities, educational support, health and safety environmental facilities.

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