Nigerian Genitalia Vanishing Epidemic of 1990 May 13, 2008

We heard about the fainting and pseudoseizures that are happening in Makunudhoo. Now hear about the NIGERIAN GENITALIA VANISHING EPIDEMIC OF 1990.

Nigerian Genitalia Vanishing Epidemic of 1990

During 1990, an episode of “vanishing” genitalia caused widespread fear across Nigeria. Native psychiatrist Sunny Ilechukwu (1992) said that most reports of attacks involved male victims. Accusations were usually triggered by incidental body contact with a stranger in a public place, after which the “victim” would feel strange scrotum sensations and grab their genitals to confirm that they were still there. Then they would confront the person as a crowd would gather, accusing them of being a genital thief, before stripping naked to convince bystanders that their penis was really missing. Many “victims” claimed that the penis had been returned once the alarm had been raised or that, although the penis was now back, “it was shrunken and so probably a ‘wrong’ one or just the ghost of a penis” (95). The accused was often threatened or beaten until the penis had been “fully restored,” and in some instances, the accused was beaten to death. Ilechukwu (1992, 96) described the scene in one city:

Men could be seen in the streets of Lagos holding on to their genitalia either openly or discreetly with their hands in their pockets. Women were also seen holding on to their breasts directly or discreetly by crossing the hands across the chest. It was thought that inattention and a weak will facilitated the “taking” of the penis or breasts. Vigilance and anticipatory aggression were thought to be good prophylaxis.

Social and cultural traditions contributed to the outbreak as many Nigerian ethnic groups “ascribe high potency to the external genitalia as ritual and magical objects to promote fecundity or material prosperity to the unscrupulous” (Ilechukwu 1988, 313). The belief in vanishing genitalia was not only plausible but institutionalized; many influential Nigerians expressed outrage when police released suspected genital thieves. A Christian priest even claimed that a Bible passage where Jesus asked “Who touched me?” because the “power had gone out of him,” referred to genital stealing (101-102).

IF you want to read more of such MASS HYSTERIA attacks please make your way to this page.

A friend of mine asked me. ” WHAT IF THE NIGERIAN GENITAL VANISHING SYNDROME HAPPENS DURING THE CONGREGATION OF MUSLIMS IN MECCA DURING THE HAJJ TIME” .

I said nothing in return.

Health Professionals about to lose the Veil March 22, 2008

It looks like Female Muslim doctors in UK can no longer wear the veil when they are with the patients. Good move i say. Enough is Enough.

Female Muslim doctors must be prepared to remove their veil to treat patients effectively, under new guidelines issued yesterday.
Religious clothing must not present a barrier to building trust and communicating with patients, the General Medical Council said.
Doctors should be prepared to set aside personal and cultural preferences, advised the document, Personal Beliefs and Medical Practice.
The council also said doctors must be open about procedures they object to because of their beliefs, such as abortion.

The Muslim Council of Great Britain supports the GMC guidance saying that female Muslim doctors have a responsibility to put patient care first.

Women could wear the hijab, which covers the head but not the face.

Dr Abdullah Shehu, the chairman of the Muslim Council’s medical committee, said: “While wearing a veil does not preclude someone from practising medicine, there is no harm in removing it where the ability to communicate or care for the patient is compromised. The Muslim community very much welcomes this guidance.”

The guidance states: “Some patients, for example, may find that a face veil worn by their doctor presents an obstacle to effective communication and the development of trust.

“You must be prepared to respond to a patient’s individual needs and take steps to anticipate and overcome any perceived barrier to communication.”

Other issues covered by the guidance are that doctors cannot refuse to care for patients before or after having an abortion because they object to the procedure.

They must also respect the views of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who refuse treatment if it involves having blood transfusions.

This article appeared in Women Against Shariah which is a site all women could subscribe to and learn from . There is nothing wrong in asking questions and reading material critical of a certain religion.

An Idea that has been going on for some time February 27, 2008

Why not make a network among the parents whose children have been disabled due to negligence, from the mistreatment and malpractice. May be the NGOs can lead this initiative. NGOs like Care Society can do this as they claim they are there for the vulnerable and as an advocate for the disabled.

This network can be used as a way to find courage and strength from each other. A way to dig up the injustices that has been done. This network can, as a collective effort, SUE the people and the hospitals who have been responsible and has gotten away so far.When i think of such an initiative, Erin Brockovich comes to my mind.

WHAT IS LACKING IS LEADERSHIP.

It was yesterday that a Cerebral Palsy child was awarded 5.4 million pounds in compensation due to negligence and malpractice.

The state of health care February 15, 2008

The comments on Maldives Medical Watch blog is telling us the state of the doctors in our hospitals are. There is much bickering and anger demonstrated. I wonder how they can take care of us when they themselves are in such a mess.

Latest on MMR vaccine and Autism February 12, 2008

I blogged on this issue of MMR vaccine sometime back. Like i said then, and even now i am not against the MMR vaccine. My whole purpose is to make people aware of whats happening.

My thoughts on CRPD meeting - by Ifham February 8, 2008

The Maldives signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in October 2007. Mr. Simon Walker, Human Rights Officer from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva, was here in the Maldives last week to meet with relevant people in the government, NGOs, persons with disabilities, and parents of persons with disabilities and to explain what the convention was really about.

So what does it mean for persons with disabilities in the Maldives?

I attended two meetings, one targeting government workers in fields relating to disability issues, NGOs, and individuals already working in fields related to this issue. I was a mere observer because I wanted to familiarize myself with the issues relating to the CRPD, though I have to note that there was not much to take in there. Mr. Walker introduced the basic idea behind CRPD and obvious questions from members of the audience related to how the UN will make sure Maldives will follow what it has accepted by signing the convention.

The other meeting, on the other hand, which was aimed at persons with disabilities and their parents, was very intense. I participated in this meeting as a translator due to a request from a friend at Handicap International in Maldives, who were one of the organizers of these information sessions. They thought it would be nice to have a translator in hand in case members of the audience needed help in raising their thoughts in Dhivehi. I was a bit nervous going there, but pretty excited as I was going to meet new people and learn something new. But I have to admit that I did not expect much action, so I went there with the intention of lending a bit of help in translating Mr. Walker’s words and maybe also one or two comments from the participants.

It started pretty slow, with the main concept of the CRPD being explained by Mr. Walker, and I trying to explain all that in shortest, simplest way in Dhivehi, although I had to get help from members of the audience at times for the right Dhivehi term used for a specific word relating to the subject of disability. And as in routine, when the presentation was done, Mr. Walker asked if any one had any questions or comments. Well, the thing is, the Maldivian government, by signing this convention has basically pledged to ‘promote, protect and ensure the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity.’ So, considering the current status of persons with disability in the Maldives, you can imagine how the questioning stage would proceed. It would be right to say that the participants were ‘tongue-tied’ at first. They were probably thinking… ‘Where do we start? Do you have the whole day to listen to us? Do you have any answers? Or is this just another fruitless gathering to make us feel better?’

The comments, questions, and concerns of participants started coming in slowly. It turned out that I was pretty useful as a translator or facilitator after all, because a lot of the parents or local workers in the field of disability seemed more confident to ask their questions and share their feelings due the fact that they were able to express their thoughts and grievances in Dhivehi. And also, probably the setting for the discussion was pretty informal, encouraging more participation from the audience. Everyone were sat in lines of a semi circle, the speaker and translators, including the sign language translator stood at the front, without the normal head tables, podiums, or microphones.

Anyhow, questions from the audience started pretty much the same as the first session I mentioned earlier. That is, how is the UN going to make sure that the Maldivian government will actually do what it has agreed with the signing of the convention? Mr. Walker did not obviously speak for the government of Maldives, since he was there just to provide information about the clauses and desired effects of the convention. He explained that the Maldivian government and necessary bodies in the Maldives are required to report their activities in relation to the convention around the end of 2009, so that the UN can see what has already been done. Of course, the UN cannot force governments or the people of a nation to do anything. So as Mr. Walker and speakers from Handicap International, and also from the Human Rights Commission in Maldives suggested, it was more in the hands of the people now to make sure that the relevant government bodies conform to the standards agreed in the convention.

One thing I noted; people lacked confidence in the system. Some of the first questions were targeted around this issue. Some parents of children with disability expressed a sort of helplessness because their kids with disability had no opportunity for self development, no access to adequate medical services, or a proper living environment. Some, because they are not getting what they expect from the government. Others, because they did not know what they could do themselves to make the future brighter for their children because they knew their kids could be so much more productive if there were avenues for proper education or vocational training. The other thing was that a lot of them wanted someone, the government, an international or local NGO, to do something for them. I guess this is quite natural since there is not much of a current framework or platform for persons with disabilities or their parents to bring out their views or exchange ideas and contribute to the betterment of issues surrounding persons with disability.

So in a sense, this meeting with the parents about the UN convention was great success! First, it gave people the opportunity to express their feelings. Second, the after sessions that followed with drinks and group discussions allowed people with similar needs and problems to come together to some extent. Now the next step, as it was stressed a lot of times during the presentations made, is for persons with disability and/or their parents to come together to form a permanent collaborative force, to exchange ideas, to act as pressure groups to make sure the government is conforming to the convention, and to get involved as much as they can in the development of a society that ‘promotes, protects and ensures the full and equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabilities’.

Of course, it is way easier said than done. At the end of the session, I met a lot of parents and listened to their individual stories of hopes, efforts, and sometimes desperation. Some parents pledged to contribute in any way they can. Most, I could see were determined to go to extreme lengths to find the best for their children; they just needed a little nudge along the right way.

Personally, I think that the most important issue surrounding the talk of disability issues in Maldives right now is the issue of awareness. Do people in our society actually like to know about the issues surrounding disability in our country? If not, why is it so? Why is the subject of disability still such a ‘taboo’ in our society, so much so that we are sometimes unable to look in the eye of a person with a disability or their relatives? Can we change this soon enough, so that our children do not see these taboos as the norm of their adulthood? Of course we can, but first our society has to learn to look in the eye, and realize that there is a big untouched issue here that needs to touched, opened for the public, and acted upon. Maybe then, the little kids born in a different way will not have to hide away in their rooms all day, and then maybe we can all learn to say ‘how are you?’, or ‘what is your name?’, just as we would ask any normal child who we want to befriend.

THSI POST FIRST APPEARED ON YASIPHS (Yafau) BLOG.

Female Muslim medics ‘disobey hygiene rules’ February 5, 2008

Can this happen in our hospitals?

Muslim medical students are refusing to obey hygiene rules brought in to stop the spread of deadly superbugs, because they say it is against their religion.Women training in several hospitals in England have raised objections to removing their arm coverings in theatre and to rolling up their sleeves when washing their hands, because it is regarded as immodest in Islam.

Universities and NHS trusts fear many more will refuse to co-operate with new Department of Health guidance, introduced this month, which stipulates that all doctors must be “bare below the elbow”.

The measure is deemed necessary to stop the spread of infections such as MRSA and Clostridium difficile, which have killed hundreds.

Minutes of a clinical academics’ meeting at Liverpool University revealed that female Muslim students at Alder Hey children’s hospital had objected to rolling up their sleeves to wear gowns.

Similar concerns have been raised at Leicester University. Minutes from a medical school committee said that “a number of Muslim females had difficulty in complying with the procedures to roll up sleeves to the elbow for appropriate handwashing”.

Sheffield University also reported a case of a Muslim medic who refused to “scrub” as this left her forearms exposed.

Documents from Birmingham University reveal that some students would prefer to quit the course rather than expose their arms, and warn that it could leave trusts open to legal action.

Hygiene experts said last night that no exceptions should be made on religious grounds.

Dr Mark Enright, professor of microbiology at Imperial College London, said: “To wash your hands properly, and reduce the risks of MRSA and C.difficile, you have to be able to wash the whole area around the wrist.

“I don’t think it would be right to make an exemption for people on any grounds. The policy of bare below the elbows has to be applied universally.”

Dr Charles Tannock, a Conservative MEP and former hospital consultant, said: “These students are being trained using taxpayers’ money and they have a duty of care to their patients not to put their health at risk.

“Perhaps these women should not be choosing medicine as a career if they feel unable to abide by the guidelines that everyone else has to follow.”

But the Islamic Medical Association insisted that covering all the body in public, except the face and hands, was a basic tenet of Islam.

“No practising Muslim woman - doctor, medical student, nurse or patient - should be forced to bare her arms below the elbow,” it said.

Dr Majid Katme, the association spokesman, said: “Exposed arms can pick up germs and there is a lot of evidence to suggest skin is safer to the patient if covered. One idea might be to produce long, sterile, disposable gloves which go up to the elbows.”

From the telegraph.

Is justice happening? January 30, 2008

Some NGOs in Maldives are supposedly advocating for the disabled and the vulnerable. This might be a misconception and a disguise. They should be learning from organizations like Justice For All activists in safeguarding the disable and the vulnerable in our community. Recently i saw a comment in a FaceBook discussion forum (Child Abuse Watch Maldives) where Afiya, a founder member of the NGO Care Society, was defending her decision to circumcise a disabled boy. I want to ask her whether she would defend a decision to remove a womb of a girl considering a disability in a girl in the name of making life better for a disabled girl. More or so , without their consent.

A US court recently went against such intervention. Doctors recommended another alternative than mutilation. An unnecessary procedure has been stopped from  being performed.

A mother’s wish to have her disabled teenage daughter’s womb removed looks set to become the next landmark case in the courts to test the ethics of medical intervention where patients cannot decide for themselves.

Disability groups and academics have been united in urging caution in the case in which Alison Thorpe wants doctors to perform a hysterectomy on her daughter Katie,15, who has cerebral palsy and the mental capacity of an 18-month-old child.

Times Online report can be read from here. And you can read a mothers argument of why she wanted her disabled daughters womb to be removed.

I wonder if in Maldives such intervention is taking place in the name of making things better for disabled children. This blog vehemently opposes such intervention even from the very beginning starting from the case of little Ashley.

 

 

Mullah Doctors who dont shake hands with women January 24, 2008

As more and more people are sent to Pakistan for their medical training, the number of mullah doctors are increasing day by day. I have to note here that there are a few who got their training from secular countries who have resorted to this kind of extremism. I have seen on many occasions a few doctors, who has long beards that resembles the like of jihadi terrorists, refusing to shake hands with women. Even when the sexiest looking woman presents her hand for a good shake, they refuse. Maybe they like male hands better.

I wonder how they deal with female patients? I wonder how they do the assessments needed to come to a diagnosis? I wonder about their professionalism? I wonder and doubt on their ability to diagnose female patients correctly? I wonder the logic behind them not shaking hands with women out of their practice (ie. if they do touch a woman for assessment purposes only)?

 

What has Maldives Medical Watch to say about this? January 21, 2008

Dr. Niyaf has questioned the integrity of the truth behind the stories being published in MMW. Dr. Niyaf says:

mmw, I have just checked out your site. There are a few issues of conflicting interest for me. I would urge you to ensure that what you write is not just rumors and personal attacks on individuals. It should be the truth, not just stories.