WHO CARES?

The NMA strike has just gone over the 1month mark and it appears the government is still trying to hoodwink the executive of the NMA to shelve the strike with a promise of a 2015 solution to all the demands. It may sound very insensitive to say that the already commenced strike was a blessing in disguise that has perhaps limited the spread of the virus. I was made to understand that the deceased Liberian was initially referred to LUTH but was subsequently taken to the private hospital where he passed away.

One can only imagine what would have happened if LUTH was operational at the time. On a normal day, it is extremely difficult to attend to patients and utilize standard precautions due to scarcity or outright lack of such materials. There is also absolutely no protocol that had been drawn up in preparedness for a potential viral threat especially with the foreknowledge of outbreaks in neighboring countries with relatively non-existent borders.

Rumours started flying about two days ago that someone suspected to have symptoms suggestive of the Ebola virus infection was being contained in a location within the premises of a certain tertiary hospital in Lagos, there has been no confirmation or otherwise to that effect. The outgoing medical director held a press conference a few days ago to answer questions on the outcome of blood samples sent to the hospital in the aftermath of the late Sawyer incident. He talked a great deal about the readiness and capability of the institution. The rumours have not gone away but there has been a few seminars on the Ebola virus held in the past few days. With the ongoing strike, the management of the hospital have since scheduled another emergency training in preparedness for the disease for the house officers who have been working since the strike commenced. I thought any training  and enlightenment campaign ought to have been done way before any case was reported on our shores. In the memo circulated, attendance is indicated as compulsory and they have been threatened with sanctions if they fail to turn up. Are these 21/22+ years old pawns going to be thrown into the firing line without protective gear or the assurance of a serum if have an Ebola virus explosion in our land?

I was speaking to a colleague yesterday who told me of a friend's experience the day before when he touched down in Lagos from Sierra Leone. The man said they were a number of government officials at the arrival section distributing questionnaires to passengers that required information of departure and transit locations and also signs that may suggest a viral infection or lack thereof. The officials were said to have simply collected the forms back upon completion of filling and the passengers allowed to proceed out of the airport. Concerned, the man from Sierra Leone approached one of the officials and informed her of where he had arrived from and asked about what would happen to the forms thereafter. The lady was reported to have said that the forms would be reviewed and anyone suspected based on the responses given would be contacted. It was then the friend of my colleague pointed out to the lady that there was nowhere on the form where phone number details were required. Unperturbed, she simply unearthed a piece of paper and asked him to write down his phone number before leaving.

We have a doctor as minister of health who has joined his employers to play politics with the health of Nigerians. The clear state of unpreparedness should clearly require the heads of those responsible as atonement but that clearly is not the case. Moro, the man responsible for the death of job seekers at various stadiums a while ago is also responsible for the workers administering porous questionnaires to passengers at our airports and perhaps what goes on at our various borders shared with our neighbours. The man ultimately responsible has taken time off to join the village headmaster in DC to discuss what "hand-me-downs" Africa can be allocated to scramble on. 7billion dollars is what the shooting guard of the white house wants to yield to Africa to trigger business development. Why should a whole Nigeria be joining issues with our junior brothers on the continent for a measly 7 billion when 20billion gets transformed from our oil revenue on a regular basis? What is 7billion when we have about 1billion as aviation ministry debts and we have a Dangote who can readily drop 1billion for rice production? What is 7billion when our president can just take a quick 1billion loan to blow boko haram up into oblivion  before December and get it paid back before we know it?

Yesterday on the news, the head of the Nigerian information agency and the spokeswoman of the DSS were showcasing the new preventive measure for the Ebola virus. Cheap and easy nylon gloves to hold microphone. That should be easy for our hospitals to acquire and it must have been found very effective as they were the only individuals on their exalted table who wore the gloves. The rest of the people could hold the microphone with their bare hands for all they cared. I absolutely think both propaganda machines should have come instead in space suits or at least muzzles to prevent their contagious oral spatter from reaching the microphone, covering of hands is not quite enough.

Nigerian people should be educated to know exactly where to direct their pressures towards. They should stop quoting any Hippocratic oath so someone can go and commit suicide. The American fellows evacuated to take their secret serum would surely not mind returning to their work in Africa because of what lengths they have seen their government go to save their lives. The American soldier would give his life for his peers because he knows he  would get recognition, a medal with his family a flag and accrued benefits not forgetting gun salutes at his burial. The Israeli 18 year old would pick up arms to defend his nation because he knows his nation would give 1000 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for his life if he is captured. GEJ and the political class in Nigeria hardly give a hare's breath about Nigerians and until Nigerians start taking charge and making demands; na like this we go dey dey despite whatever any "man of God" says.

Jide akeju

6/08/2014, 10:33am