By Donu Kogbara
IN the past one month, two members of my extended family have been killed by the scandalously inadequate Nigerian healthcare system.
One of these victims – a cousin and the kind of highly skilled professional who added value to every place he worked in – collapsed and died in Port Harcourt, shortly after he had been discharged from hospital and given a clean bill of health.
The other victim – an in-law and adored matriarch – died in the Indian hospital to which she was rushed when it became obvious that the doctors she was consulting in Lagos were bunglers who didn’t have a clue what was wrong with her and were giving her drugs that were weakening rather than strengthening her.
When this Madame arrived in India in a very fragile condition, the doctors there were flabbergasted. They couldn’t understand why their Lagos colleagues had messed up so badly. They said that she had an ailment that should have been easy to diagnose and treat. And they quickly tried to salvage the situation. But it was too late.
When she passed away, her children were told that her death would have been “totally avoidable” if her case had been handled properly at an early stage.
Both of these much-missed individuals would have survived to ripe old ages if Nigerian medical establishments were up to scratch. In this our so-called “Giant of Africa”, many doctors are ill-trained and even those who were trained well find it extremely difficult to perform well because most hospitals are ill-equipped. The end result is that people constantly die because of illnesses that need not be fatal.
I am absolutely disgusted by the selfishness of the people who run this country. When our VIPs get sick, they jet off to receive state-of-the-art treatments in wonderful foreign hospitals…instead of regarding it as a sacred duty to provide such facilities on their home turf, so that those of their compatriots who cannot afford the luxury of international travel can enjoy the same level of care here.
Nigerian politicians will not have to rig elections if they give us what we want and need. We will kiss their feet and voluntarily vote for them if they look after us properly. Furthermore, EVERYONE will benefit if our rulers do the right thing.
Even if you are a billionaire, a minister or whatever, it is immensely risky to waste several hours on an aeroplane when you need urgent medical attention. You are more likely to stay alive if you can receive top-class treatment within minutes.
Money cannot always buy life or time. Death doesn’t always take note of the size of your bank account. A considerable number of sick people who possess – or can access via friends or employers – the resources to travel long distances (my own father included) have given up the ghost while travel arrangements are being made
We have a Head of State who is no stranger to health problems and should have a strong interest in beefing up our healthcare system as speedily as possible.
Let an enthusiastic commitment to alleviating the suffering of sick Nigerians be one of President Yar’Adua’s legacies. Let him give us a reason to cheer loudly every time we glimpse him in person or watch him on TV.
Let him inspire us to love him deeply, respect him profoundly and beg him to run for the top job again in 2011.
Punishing carelessness
Last week, a Spanish tribunal jailed the Spanish plastic surgeon who performed the operation that caused the death of our former First Lady, the late Chief Mrs Stella Obasanjo.
The verdict was involuntary homicide. The sentence was one year. The surgeon has also been fined and suspended from practicing medicine for three years.
During the trial, a Spanish forensic scientist described Mrs Obasanjo’s 2005 death as avoidable. A Spanish police physician said that she wouldn’t have died if the surgeon had detected the complications that killed her. The Spanish public prosecutor accused him of “a heap of negligence” and a “lack of analytical strength…lack of follow-up [and] lack of interest for the patient”.
Some of the Nigerians I have spoken to since the surgeon was jailed think that the surgeon is only being punished because his actions led to the demise of a high-profile patient and potentially jeopardised Spain’s economic interests in Nigeria.
I beg to differ. Europeans tend to apply justice equally to all categories of human; and I believe that this surgeon would have been punished even if he had caused the death of an ordinary Spaniard or ordinary Nigerian or ordinary anybody.
No sane doctor sets out to harm his or her patient. But some kind of punishment is necessary when incompetent doctors screw up. And I think that incompetent Nigerian doctors should, at the very least, be temporarily barred from practising and forced to retrain, so they cannot inflict any more destruction on society.
Responses to: donzol2002@yahoo.co.uk or 0802 7476458 (text only)
DONU, YOU DISAPPOINT ME…And I think that incompetent Nigerian doctors should, at the very least, be temporarily barred from practising and forced to retrain, so they cannot inflict any more destruction on society. MY DEAR DONU, WITH YOUR LEVEL OF EDUCATION AND EXPOSURE, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO FILE A COMPLAINT WITH THE NIGERIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION DISCIPLINARY BOARD. WITH THE CASE HISTORY AND RECORDS OF YOUR DECEASED AND FOLLOW THE PROCESS FROM THERE. YOU ARE SATISFIED TO TELL US WHAT THE INDIAN DOCTOR SAID. HE WOULD BE ASKED FOR HIS RECORDS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. NOW START THE PROCESS SO THAT THE NIGERIAN DOCTOR IF FOUND GUILTY WOULD GO AND LEARN OR BE BARRED AS YOU SUGGEST, MAKING THESE SORT OF COMMENTS WITHOUT ACTUALLY SEEKING AN END OR SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM IS TOO PEDESTRIAN., OR YOU JUST WANT TO PLAY TO THE GALLERY LIKE EVERY TWO BIT NAIRA COMMENTATOR.
Well put together, this tale of two tragedies. I sympathies will you. When shall we enjoy what others have normally in more serious and people loving environments that our leader like to go to to and ‘enjoy’ their worthy facilities. Only to come back to Nigeria where rot is the other of the day and act as though all is well. What insensitive and God forsaking leaders that we have. May GOD help us.
Yar’Adua And His PDP Cannot Think Positively
It is too late for Yar’Adua to deliver. He and his PDP cannot do the right things. It will not cost more than $2bn to upgrade eight hospitals, one in each geopolitical zone including Abuja and Lagos, in the country to world standard. We have the money. Yar’Adua and his PDP cannot think positively but bent only on criminality.
On the other note, the European justice is only for the white. Stella’s case was prosecuted fairly because of the position of OBJ and he had the means to execute the case. It has nothing to do with Spain and Nigeria foreign relationships.
Please ready below the comment I have written primarily for Aondoakaa that your column forced me to publish here. The AGF and his staff are directed to read it here.
Aondoakaa Must Not Allow The 25 Witnesses
There are times when Aondoakaa may be right in his measures. But for many of his questionable conducts, it is difficult to support him in some of the right steps he takes. Nigeria and her citizens abroad need defending in the hand of the racist Police and Judges of the host countries.
Black people in foreign countries do not have justice whether they are born there, are citizens or residents. As soon as a black person stepped into the court whether he/she is a plaintiff or defendant he/she has already lost the case. For this Nigeria must not abandon her citizens aboard who found themselves in conflict with the law. It may not be their fault but for the unspoken racism in those countries.
When matters concern a black person the Police always in many cases sit on vital evidence, falsify or manipulate evidence to ensure the black person does not get justice. In the Court the Judge does not look at the evidence but the black person. Some black people in these foreign countries are not just militant or rebellious in some ways but they do it as a reaction to the injustice and racism that are melt out to them daily. No matter how careful or good you may be you can always come in conflict with the law by accident.
These are not the official policies of the Government of these countries. They are the personal bias and hatred of those in position of power to enforce and interpret the laws but take matters into their hands. The injustice is at its highest at the lower Courts where legal representation is minimal or non-existent.
What the Government in its policies gives to the people without discrimination in one hand, the Police and Court Judges take it away on the other hand. For example, if the Police and Judges were the electorate in the USA, Obama would not have got nomination by his political party let alone get elected. This shows that majority of the ordinary are not responsible for the racism and injustice in these foreign countries but the people with various position of power.
Black people do not have justice. For the same offence where a white person can be set free, a black person can be given a five year jail sentence. Take the case that is going on in Italy on murder charges that involved two white people, an American woman and an Italian man and a black man from Ivory Coast. They killed a British woman (student). The black man was give a separate and fast track trial and sentence straight to prison. The two white man and woman are being tried together gradually. Is this not the same offence that was apparently committed together by the three people in the same room? Why was the black man tried separately and hastily? This is because as long as he is a black man he is automatically guilty.
In the current case that is going on in London UK with Ibori’s associates, who are mainly Nigerian citizens, if the offence was committed totally in the UK, Nigeria Government must assist them. If the offence was committed in Nigeria or both in Nigeria and UK, Nigeria Government must ask UK to stop the case and let them come home to be tried in Nigeria.
As I said above black people do not have justice in these foreign countries no matter what they try to show us. For this Aondoakaa must not allow the Nigeria witnesses to come to the UK to give evidence. If the offence was committed only in the UK and they so wish, let them come to Nigeria to take evidence from the witnesses. The Nigerian witnesses must not leave Nigeria to give evidence abroad. I do not like Ibori for what he is but he must only be tried in Nigeria. The UK can be asked to send its evidence against him to the Nigeria Court.
Some may ask, what about the injustice in our country and to our people? If your parent or relation (your country) slaps you, it is never painful. He/she does so because he/she cares for you, does not mean to hurt you but for correction. But if an outsider (a foreign country) slaps you no matter how mild, it is painful because he/she does not have any regard for you but simply meant to hurt you.
If we can solve the problem of election rigging and tamed corruption, we have solved the problems of the country. If we provide and maintain the essential things, we shall keep our people at home. We must keep our country together and follow the advantages of being a big country.
Jimmy Salvage – Abuja.