Assessment of challenges inhibiting effective delivery of health care services among frontline Professional health workers during COVID 19 Lock down in Nigeria

This is a cross-sectional survey of challenges inhibiting health care service provision during COVID 19 lockdown. Data collected with a pretested online self-administered questionnaire included age, gender, occupation, place of practice, physical distance practices, utilization of telemedicine, income and other concerns that may have inhibited their practices during the COVID 19 lockdown. Data were analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 26.0 with the level of significance set at p<0.05. Chi square goodness of fit test was used to analyze the association between means and qualitative variables. Results: Response rate from 599 questionnaires was 481 (78%) with physiotherapists (n=108, 23%); nurses (n=106, 22%); doctors (n=86, 18%); laboratory technicians (n=87, 18%) and pharmacists (n=94, 19%); in public sector (n=318, 66%) and private practitioners (n=163, 34%). During the "lockdown" patients interacting with health professionals in private practice decreased except increases for laboratory technicians (11.91%) and pharmacists (68.35%). Social distancing was feasible by pharmacists and laboratory technicians, but interactions by nurses, physiotherapists and doctors were compromised. Telemedicine was used mostly by doctors (n=42, 48.8%), and physiotherapists (n=50, 46.3%). Health professionals experienced mental stress 428 (89%); anxiety 176 (37%); feared infection 333 (69%) and 232 (48%) of transmitting to their families; 307 (64 %) had challenges with personal protective equipment. Suggestions were: alternate accommodation or longer shifts with less working days 111 (37%); a hazard allowance 244 (51%) and counseling 238 (49%). Conclusion: Private practitioners reported a loss of income with all health professionals indicating the "lockdown" and COVID-19 compromised health delivery, health services, and individuals' health. Health professionals suggested a hazard allowance, alternate accommodation, and dedicated counseling for health professionals during the pandemic.

Sexual Experiences of Infertile Women: A Qualitative Study

It is suggested that stress related to infertility causes marriage conflicts and decreases in the frequency of sexual intercourse. Aim: This study aimed to explore the experiences of the sexuality of infertile women. Patients and Methods: A phenomenological design was used in this study. We conducted face-to-face, semistructured, in-depth interviews with 11 infertile women. The interviews were audio-recorded, and a thematic approach was used to assess the data. Results: The average age of the women was 33.05 ± 3.40 years, and their age of first sexual intercourse was 23.0 ± 2.8 years and all of them are legally married. The durations of experiencing the problem of infertility were as follows; 3-5 years in 33%, 6-10 years in 27%, and 11 years and above in 38%. According to interpretative phenomenological analysis, two main themes emerge. Two main themes were determined: Perception of Sexuality and Sexual Problems. The results show that infertile women have a higher risk for sexual dysfunction than fertile women. Conclusion: These findings suggest that the diagnosis of infertility is an important factor in assessing the differences in the sexual satisfaction of women. In infertility counseling, health professionals must explain the gender differences. Also, infertile couples must encourage to share each other's feelings and this may help couples to cope with the communication problems they may experience.

The impact of the responsibility of teachers regarding reproductive healthcare to teenage learners

The Life Orientation subject at school is meant to equip learners with important life skills and prepare them to be responsible adults that will contribute positively to the economy of the country. One of such skills is to avoid pregnancy while being a learner and therefore needs information about sex and sexuality. The school curriculum should thus include the subject Reproductive Health Care and the teachers be allowed the responsibility to teach the subject. Teenage girls who become pregnant as learners are in many times compelled to drop out of school to raise the child as it becomes challenging to cope with studies and looking after the baby. The study used a qualitative exploratory research design aimed to determine the impact of the responsibility of teachers regarding reproductive healthcare to teenage learners. The objectives were to, explore the knowledge of school teachers with regard to reproductive healthcare. To explore and describe the views of the teachers with regard to their responsibility to teach the reproductive healthcare topic to teenage girls. Lastly, to develop guidelines for schools to assist teachers regarding their responsibility to teach the reproductive healthcare topic to teenage girls. The article will report on the first two objectives only. Indepth focus group interviews were conducted with twenty willing participants and a narrative questionnaire was completed. The data analysis method used was the spiral method which follows the process of coding and categorising transcribed data. The processallows data to be organised and setting it for several times so as to get a sense of the whole. identifying general categories and themes of the data is the next step followed by integrating and summarising the data to get a response to the research question. Data analysis results were teachers who felt burdened with the responsibility. Some had a positive opinion of the subject as part of the school curriculum and thus the need for stakeholder collaboration for their assistance. In conclusion, teachers are in need of empowerment for the responsibility to teach reproductive healthcare. (Afr J Reprod Health 2022; 26[4]: 82-91).

Developing and prioritising strategies to improve the implementation of maternal healthcare guidelines in South Africa: The nominal group technique

Background: In South Africa, maternal healthcare guidelines are distributed to primary health care (PHC) facility for midwives to refer and implement during maternal healthcare services. Different training was offered for the use of maternal care guidelines. However, poor adherence and poor implementation of guidelines were discovered. Aim: This study aimed to develop and prioritise strategies to improve the implementation of maternal healthcare guidelines at PHC facilities of Limpopo province, South Africa. Method: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats analysis and its matrix together with the nominal group technique were used to develop the current strategy. Midwives, maternal, assistant and operational managers from PHC facilities of the two selected district of the Limpopo province were selected. Criterion-based purposive sampling was used to select participants. Data collection and analysis involved the four steps used in the nominal group technique. Results: Strategies related to strengths and weaknesses such as human resources, maternal health services and knowledge deficit were identified. Opportunities and threats such as availability of guidelines, community involvement and quality assurance as factors that influenced the provision of maternal healthcare services were identified. Conclusion: Researchers formulated actions that could build on identified strengths, overcome weaknesses such as human resources, explore opportunities and mitigate the threats such as quality assurance

Formative Assessment Promotes Learning in Undergraduate Clinical Clerkship

INTRODUCTION: Clinical clerkships; typically situated in environments lacking educational structure; form the backbone of undergraduate medical training. The imperative to develop strategies that enhance learning in this context is apparent. This study explored the impact of longitudinal bedside formative assessment on student learning in a medical clerkship.METHODS: We studied a class of 4th-year students completing a 14-week medical clerkship at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Clinician educators assessed student performance during weekly bedside teaching sessions using blinded patient encounters (in which students had no prior knowledge of the patient's diagnosis or access to the clinical records). Student feedback was standardised using performance rating scales. The impact of formative assessment on student learning was determined from questionnaire responses. RESULTS: A total of 575 formative assessments took place during the study period. Students perceived blinded patient encounters to be a valuable learning activity that improved their clinical reasoning skills and assessed progress fairly. They reported that feedback helped inform them of their level of competence and learning needs; motivated them to read more; and significantly improved their participation in patient-centred learning activities. Participating clinicians agreed that this formative assessment strategy enhanced the learning potential of bedside teaching sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Longitudinal formative assessment; using blinded patient encounters; was successfully integrated into undergraduate clerkship bedside teaching. According to both students and staff this assessment strategy enhanced bedside learning and improved student participation in patient-centred learning activities during the clerkship

Le personnel dentaire auxiliaire dans les pays en voie de developpement: cas du Senegal

Le personnel dentaire auxiliaire souvent considere comme un personnel de plus; a une place bien precise dans l'equipe de sante publique dentaire. Dans les pays en voie de developpement; il joue un role non negligeable dans la gamme des prestations de services dentaires. Le cas du Senegal sera presente comme exemple

Laboratory technology: an ugrading course in laboratory technology for medical laboratory assistants (draft report)

The report recommends that an advanced course for medical laboratory assistants should be devised locally for the ugrading of such persons to Technical Officer. It will be reflected in the higher standards of performance and accuracy in diagnostic testing. The new Technical Officer will feel proud to be part of the health care team and realize a future in the medical laboratory career