Dr. Owolabi Abimbola is a family physician with vast experience in healthcare delivery in forms of home-based, community-based and primary care. As a Fellow of the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria, he is also a certified Patient-Centered Caregiver, Resource Manager, Coordinator, Communicator, Advocate and Researcher. He is also experienced in community-based and rural services delivery through public service with both profit and non-profit organizations.
Below is a summary of the interview Your Health & Well Being with Dr. Owolabi Abimbola
He explained the role of a family doctor as one trained and saddled with the responsibility to advise, manage and take care of women from the point of conception until after delivery.
He went on to lament on the attitude surrounding health in the country with little or no awareness and little provision for early diagnosis of certain ailments which has resulted in many deaths. He went further to say that, it was wrong for people to neglect their health on the basis of being busy. He expressed optimism saying that if the information is made available to everyone many more would become more responsible as it concerns their health.
He also shared hopes that infant and maternal mortality rates could be reduced if more mothers were to attend antenatal classes. This he said would ensure that mothers and their infants were monitored and administered the right doses of medication from conception to delivery. He pointed out that for mothers who fail to attend antenatal classes they ran a risk of Hemorrhage, heavy loss of blood during childbirth.
He continued by applauding mothers saying it was a stressful state when one is pregnant with a child as there were lots of changes that happen during the course of the nine months. He explained that with the many changes happening in the period of the nine months pregnant women were very susceptible to different diseases at that period.
A caller by the name, Nike had called in to ask of the existing natural ways through which progesterone in women looking to conceive could be increased. He responded by saying that at the point when a woman is trying to conceive a hormone profiling is usually done.
During the procedure, if such persons show low progesterone levels, with difficulty conceiving they would be given supplemental progesterone after all-natural solutions prove futile. Speaking further, he ruled out self-medication as a means to treating oneself saying that it was not advisable to use drugs without being certain of the condition being treated for.
He said that for people who indulge in self-medication they run the risk of taking an overdose or experiencing side effects from drugs that are not compatible with their system. Speaking further on pregnancy-related issues; he said that postpartum depression was a psychological issue common among new mothers where they would begin to act strangely after childbirth. He went on to list the signs that these new mothers exhibit as; starving and isolating themselves from others, leaving their baby hungry, exhibiting hostile behavior amongst others.
He said that during this time it was necessary for loved ones to always be around them and to always engage in conversations but when the signs persist, it is advised they see a specialist. When asked as to whether someone could be emotionally disturbed and still have a clean bill of health, he responded with the definition of health by the WHO.
He defined it as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and as such, an emotionally disturbed person cannot be said to be healthy. That being said he explained that the aspect of wellbeing is pointing to the positive view or attitude we exhibit towards life.
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