Maravi

Dr Katema disputes Chituwo's report

Dr Katema disputes Chituwo's report
By Mutuna Chanda in Kitwe and Patson Chilemba in Lusaka
Wednesday August 13, 2008 [04:00]

A GENERAL medical practitioner Dr Joseph Katema has said health minister Dr Brian Chituwo's recent statement over President Mwanawasa's current condition is not truthful. And Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Mutale Nalumango yesterday urged the government to take to the House a statement of clarification over President Mwanawasa's condition.

Commenting on Dr Chituwo's statement in Parliament last Friday that President Levy Mwanawasa was heavily sedated, Dr Katema said there were some untruths in the update to members of parliament.
Dr Katema said it was not possible that someone who had respiratory difficulties and had an operation to improve his breathing could have been put on sedatives.

"The statement was quite contradictory," Dr Katema, who is also Chingola Patriotic Front member of parliament said. "When someone is under respiratory distress to the extent that they undergo a minor operation to improve breathing, sedatives are contra-indicated; meaning that you cannot put someone in such a condition on sedatives.

Sedatives inhibit the brain including the respiratory centre in the brain. So giving sedatives to someone in such a condition is pushing him over to the other side."

Dr Katema challenged the government to tell the nation the truth about President Mwanawasa's condition.
"There are some untruths in the statement by the health minister," Dr Katema said. "The government should have told the truth. They should tell the nation the truth."
Dr Katema also said it was difficult to tell a patient's condition after seeing him/her for the first time except for the medical personnel monitoring them.

"He Dr Chituwo should have told us the level of consciousness of the President. Using the Glasgow Coma Scale, you can ascertain the level of consciousness of a patient," said Dr Katema.
Dr Chituwo last week told the nation that President Mwanawasa's recovery would take long. He said President Mwanawasa was heavily sedated but in a stable condition.

According to free encyclopedia, Wikipedia, "a sedative, or, more specifically, a sedative-hypnotic, is a substance that depresses the central nervous system (CNS), resulting in calmness, relaxation, reduction of anxiety, sleepiness, and slowed breathing, and possibly - at higher doses - slurred speech, staggering gait, poor judgment, and slow, uncertain reflexes. Doses of sedative-hypnotics when used as a hypnotic to induce sleep tend to be higher than those used to relieve anxiety. Sedative-hypnotics may be referred to as tranquilisers, depressants, anxiolytics, soporifics, and sleeping pills.

Sedative-hypnotics can be abused to produce an overly-calming effect alcohol being the classic and most common sedating drug. At high doses or when they are abused, many of these drugs can cause unconsciousness (see hypnotic) and even death.

"Doctors and nurses often administer sedatives to patients in order to dull the patient's anxiety related to painful or anxiety-provoking procedures. Although sedatives do not relieve pain in themselves, they can be a useful adjunct to analgesics in preparing patients for surgery, and are commonly given to patients before they are anaesthetised, or before other highly uncomfortable and invasive procedures like cardiac catheterisation, colonoscopy or MRI. They increase tractability and compliance of children or troublesome or demanding patients. Patients in intensive care units are almost always sedated unless they are unconscious from their condition anyway."

And deputy speaker Nalumango yesterday urged the government to take to the House a statement of clarification over President Mwanawasa's condition.
Responding to a point of order by opposition ULP Livingstone member of parliament Sakwiba Sikota who asked whether it was in order for defence minister George Mpombo to doubt Dr Chituwo's statement on President Mwanawasa rather than seek clarifications through the House, Nalumango said the executive arm of government should have taken responsibility by making clarification through Parliament.
Nalumango said there was need for periodic updates on the status of President Mwanawasa's health.

"The executive should have taken responsibility to come back and make clarification here in the House. And at this point, therefore, I'll urge the executive that they come back and make a statement to the House to put the record straight," Nalumango said.

On Sikota's statement asking whether or not it was not against the tradition of the House for Mpombo to doubt Dr Chituwo's statement, Nalumango said the matter had become an issue of open discussion.
"It would seem that the discussion was not only hinging on the acting leader of government business in the House but it seems like the entire House; maybe that is putting it too broadly. Even the member that brought the point of order is quoted in the same statement (in The Post). So basically, it becomes an issue of open discussion, as a topical issue in the land," said Nalumango.

In his point of order, Sikota said the contradictions involving Cabinet ministers was creating confusion.

"We now have a situation where the nation is thoroughly confused and people are alarmed, to use the words of the Honourable acting Vice-President," said Sikota.

Labels: BRIAN CHITUWO, JOSEPH KATEMA, MWANAWASA

posted by MrK @ 4:44 AM