Why Flying Doctors in West Africa Mining Industry are vital against the combat of Infectious Diseases

With the past spates of Ebola outbreaks in West Africa behind us, we are starting to see more medical health facilities and major incident emergency services apparent in the region. The WHO (World Health Organization) has declared Nigeria ‘Sanction free of the Ebola virus’ putting an end to international, humanitarian tragedy in the region.  However, vigilance remains high as Nigeria looks to re-build its mining economic base.

At the time of the Ebola outbreaks, servicing the mines in the region had proved to be troublesome and difficult. Ebola was largely confined to remote rural areas.  With road and air being the most feasible options. Flying Doctors, air medical evacuation providing on route care, has been proven as the most divisible option.

Incorporating the services of Air Ambulances has proven more complex. Skills such as life support, incident management and public safety competences to remote working locations are a vital part of any business crisis infrastructure.

Whilst the Ebola Crisis saw expatriates and skilled staff deserting corporations, forcing businesses to put expansion on hold, we are seeing ways in which to instil confidence and turn the situation around by embracing capital investment in health and safety, major incident planning and business crisis infrastructures. Any business who adopts these methods will certainly instil confidence back into the market with the return of workers allowing for mining for growth.

A few major specific recommendations for risks of how infectious disease can be tackled and the provisions which should be in place ready for emergency transport

1. Ensuring emergency communication lines for assistance are in place with back up options 
2. Provision of emergency transport (By land, water and air)
3. Regular consistent first-aid and life support training for in-house staff
4. Preparation of organized plans and simulations scenarios
5. Journey plans should be meticulously implemented to help reduce risk of road traffic accidents
6. Major incident plans should be written up and revised

A year on, some of the world’s most profitable business owners are placing more emphasis on adopting crisis emergency services, supporting local healthcare organisations and major international mining communities - signalling they are recognising the problems of insufficient capacity and the drastic need to change.

In Nigeria, the mining industry faces major challenges which directly and indirectly has a knock on effect to the quality of healthcare and emergency medicine response. The prevalence of infectious diseases is higher in Africa than other continents. Therefore specific strategies and precautions must be developed by companies to avoid workers being exposed to infectious diseases.

We’re starting to see employers adopting specific strategies, taking precautions, recognising and addressing the need for additional assistance and onsite medical equipment for unique circumstances, changing first aid needs.  For more information on how the Flying Doctors can assist you with major incident planning and training in Nigeria and Africa wide. Please contact sales@flyingdoctorsnigeria.com

Top Three Professional Nigerian Leaders Make Oil & Gas Industry Recommendations

According to International statistics, 120 million occupational accidents occur annually at workplaces worldwide. Of these, 210,000 are fatal accidents.

Nigeria's oil and gas industry is the largest on the African continent with many triumphs and also set-backs due to major challenges:

1. Regulatory framework uncertainties
2. Corruption 
3. Poor infrastructure
4. Poor compliance to international operation policies.
5. Inefficient basic first-aid training for workers in high risks and critical operations.
6. Unavailability of the qualified facilities and personnel at the referral hospitals.
7. Issues with health insurance.

Hot topics are to develop, promote and encourage safety knowledge and technical know-how. Educate on how to fully enforce standards and ethics in the practice of safety, and address the challenges of managing health in an offshore or remote site location in the Oil and Gas Industry.

Key Industry Professionals

Dr Nnamdi Ilodiuba - is the current President of the Institute of Safety Professional of Nigeria (ISPON). He specialises and recommends good preventive healthcare practices for health and safety of workers, geared specifically towards the Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria.

Dr Okon Akiba – is the Health & Services manager at OKLNG, and the National Chairman of the Society of Occupational and Environmental Health Physician of Nigeria (SOEPHON). He specialises and recommends on the Challenges of managing health in an offshore or remote site location in the Oil and Gas Industry.

Dr Olutomiwa Ogunbona - is our Flying Doctors Medical and Corporate Services Manager, a specialist in Medical Evacuation and Emergency Transport in Nigeria.

Specific recommendations for Oil and Gas industry in Nigeria, Africa

Accident Preventative Measures: By investigating every incident, we learn about causes and can take action towards mitigating and removing.  Making special provisions for emergency services on site such as fire, police, coast guard and emergency medical services (EMS) and preparation for higher risk incidents of civil unrest and violent crime should all be taken into consideration.

Medical Emergency Response (MER): Utilising and implementing telemedicine solutions such as the Internet and live video link for providing a variety of immediate treatment options for the offshore or remote workforce via allocated advanced first aid responders.

Preventing onsite Infectious Disease: Preparation of policy documents to include strategies that cover a safe working environment, adopt prophylaxis schemes to prevent disease and insuring staff are fully immunized against infectious disease where possible. Continue to emphasise and educate on total hygiene, particularly hand washing and a healthier lifestyle. Keep up with CDC (Centre for Disease Prevention and Control) adopting industry recommendations and staff training programmes that help recognize symptoms of possible infectious disease.

At Flying Doctors, we believe that our mission is to deal with geography hurdles when assisting and responding to remote location emergency situations. We try to overcome geographical difficulties and their negative effects on patient care.

Those services include medical evacuation, health cover, remote sites services, medical waste disposal, healthcare consultancy and occupational health.

We operate medical and medico-logistical services for corporate bodies running high-risk operations like oil and gas, mining, construction, telecoms and manufacturing companies.

Since operations in these sectors often involve expatriates and indigenous employees, we have developed bespoke specific plans with corporate clients unique to individual needs to accommodate the speedy handling of emergencies arising from work-associated incidents.

If you would like to discuss your business needs with our expert panel, then please contact us with a brief outline of how we can assist: management@flyingdoctorsnigeria.com

Increased Burden of Infectious Disease in Offshore Oil & Gas Locations

The search for oil and gas has taken us to increasingly distant locations and further into the offshore environment. Year on year, some of the world’s most profitable businesses are placing more emphasis on adopting crisis emergency services in Nigeria, signalling they are recognising the problems of insufficient capacity and the drastic need to change.

Because of poor road infrastructure, long distances between tertiary centres and the low doctor to patient ratio, air ambulance transport for the oil and gas sector is vital part of any corporate infectious disease preventative plan.

The prevalence of infectious diseases is higher in Africa than other countries and can be directly and indirectly spread from person to another. Therefore specific strategies and precautions must be developed by companies to avoid workers being exposed.

Below is a list of some infectious diseases found in Nigeria and other parts of Africa:

Disease	Vaccination/Prevention/Mitigation	Transmission
Elephantitis	The best way to prevent lymphatic filariasis is to avoid mosquito bites. The mosquitoes that carry the microscopic worms usually bite between the hours of dusk and dawn.If you live in an area with lymphatic filariasis *Sleep in an air-conditioned room or sleep under a mosquito net especially,between dusk and dawn *Wear long sleeves and trousers and use mosquito repellent on exposed,skin	Elephanitis also known as Lymphatic filariasis, considered globally as a neglected tropical disease, is a parasitic disease caused by microscopic, thread-like worms. Lymphatic filariasis is spread from person to person by mosquitoes.
Lassa Fever	Primary transmission of the Lassa virus from its host to humans can be prevented by avoiding contact with Mastomys rodents, especially in the geographic regions where outbreaks occur. Putting food away in rodent-proof containers and keeping the home clean help to discourage rodents from entering homes.	The Lassa virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.
Malaria	Antimalarial drugs are recommended unless they are contraindicated.Antimalarial drugs are recommended to those who intend to an extended Stay in Nigeria, and those who study abroad.Chemoprophylaxis is recommended to be taken for the entire duration of long-term travel.	It is transmitted through bites of an infected mosquito (female Anopheles).
Typhoid	It is also recommended to most travellers, especially those who are staying with infected friends or relatives, visiting smaller cities, villages, or rural areas where risk factors increase through the direct contact with food or water; or prone to adventurous eating.	It is also transmitted through the Fecal-oral route.

Specific recommendations have been put together by our remote site, oil and gas emergency response expert team to circumvent infectious diseases in a corporate working environment.

1. Prepare a policy document and make sure to include strategies that ensure safe working environment, prophylaxis and vaccination.

2. Education on total hygiene, particularly hand washing, healthy lifestyle. For example, wearing long sleeves clothing in the evening.

3. Designing appropriate signage in toilets, restrooms, kitchens and canteens.

4. Training programmes that help recognize symptoms of possible infectious disease.

5. Provision of facilities and resources with equipment, and preparation of an adequately equipped clinic at workplace which should be provided with PPE, first aid boxes and alcohol hand gel.

6. Specific infectious disease training for healthcare staff. Many infectious diseases such as Lassa

Fever are under-diagnosed. High index of suspicion is required to ensure that diagnosed is made early and appropriate management undertaken.

We are starting to see employers adopting specific strategies, taking precautions, recognising and addressing the need for additional assistance and onsite medical equipment for unique circumstantial changing first aid needs.  For more information on how the Flying Doctors can assist you with infectious disease planning, medical evacuation and oil and gas first aid training in Nigeria and Africa wide. 

Please contact sales@flyingdoctorsnigeria.com