Neurologists in Nigeria have canvassed collaboration among the various professionals that work and research on nervous issue, insisting that working together will lead to improved output and well being of people with neurology cases. The brain sciences professionals note that neurology is very big, adding that, as important as it is, there is still very scanty attention from the government, maybe because there are not many neurologists in the country and the few ones that are available have enormous challenges.
Sanya Emmmanuel, an associate professor and Head, Department of Medicine, University of Ilorin, who was the guest speaker at the annual conference of the Nigeria Society of Neurological Sciences (NSNS) with the theme, ‘Synergy in Neurosciences in Nigeria’, disclosed that part of their mission at the conference was to draw the attention of the society to the landmark in neurology and brain diseases.
Emmmanuel who also noted the importance of neurologists in treating brain diseases, said that a lot of the time some people who could be saved actually go down because they are not aware that they can be treated by a neurologist. Also at the conference organized in conjunction with the Nigeria League Against Epilepsy (NLAE) and Society of Electroencephalography (EEG) Technologists of Nigeria (NISET) at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), yesterday, Emmmanuel stressed that “the purpose of the conference is collaboration among the various professionals that work and research on nervous issue”.
Mustapha Danesi, consultant neurologist and professor at the Department of Medicine, LUTH, and the chairman, organising committee for the conference, said “the Nigeria society should embrace the neurologist surgeon, paediatric neurologist, EEG technologist and other stakeholders’ practices”.
“There are few people that are aware that stroke is a neurological problem and can actually be treated by neurologists”, he said, advising neurologists to re-strategize on how to tackle this scourge and let the society be aware of what they can do.
Danesi also talked about the effect of the present economic contraction on the profession, noting that some people may not be coming to the hospital because they are also part of the economic constraint. Isiaka Amoo, president, society for EEG technologist of Nigeria, said “this is a forum where we are going to standardise and re-strategize things and to move the nation forward in terms of the fear, and to rule out the quack practitioner in the EEG profession.”
