COVID-19: The sorry state of health care facilities in Nigeria and IPOB's emergency medical response
The deplorable condition of Nigeria's health care centres that dot different locations of the country are not only shameful but pitiably disgusting. It is no longer news that the government of the day in the eyes of the civilized world, has totally failed in it's preparedness in the fight against the spread of covid-19 pandemic.
The prevalent empirical evidence of the State House Hospital which has reportedly gulped a whooping sum of N13.59billion (35,175,594 million United States Dollars) as budgeted by Muhammadu Buhari led government, is yet reeling in a sorry-state. This gravely "Unfit" State House Hospital was exclusively billed to cater for the medical needs of the President, key officials of the presidency and by extension, their families. Unfortunately, because of corruption and political intrigues associated with this regime, the said hospital has totally been reduced to a mere clinic. There are no drugs, reagents nor required medical facilities befitting it's projected status.
The non-availability of the aforementioned glaringly caused the chief of staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, amongst other notable dignitaries of the government infected with the coronavirus disease, to seek medical attention elsewhere. The tax payers money heavily invested in refurbishing and adequately equipping this State House Hospital, cannot however be accounted for.
It is notably indisputable that the Nigerian government has inadvertently ridiculed itself before the organised international community regarding it's healthcare delivery system despite assurances. And if this can be the fate of the rich at the corridors of power, it is evidently clear that the overwhelming number of the Nigerian populace has definitely no hope in emergency situations like the current outbreak and spread of the deadly virus.
As the entire global community grapples with the fight against this scourge, a lot of assistance is being sacrificially rendered to citizens irrespective of their locations within the country by kind-spirited individuals. Food items, groceries, drugs and other essentials, are being delivered to the people at their homes in countries where human lives/well-being are given premium considerations while in Nigeria, the government only clampdown on people via lockdown/sit at home orders without iota of commensurate palliative measures put in place to allileviate the unpleasant effects on the people especially within the Southern part of the country.
In the North, citizens freely go about their normal businesses without any harassment from the security operatives while money is freely being shared to them as a means of persuading them to stay indoors, in obedience to government directives. Nigeria is a crude entity, having different laws for different people depending on which divide of the country one is located.
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has emphatically given directives that isolation centres and hospitals be identifiably selected across Biafraland. These he instructed, must be promptly attended to. He had also released an initial sum of N50 million out of a contingency budget of N300 million, for the purchase of food items, drugs, reagents and appropriate medical facilities for distribution to selected hospitals in assistance to the Biafran people. IPOB is not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring that the well-being of Biafran citizens is adequately catered for throughout this trying period of the deadly virus pandemic. The earlier the Nigerians come to terms with the glaring realities that all are not really equal according to the dictates of the ruling caliphate of the north, the better for all.
Written by Ebere Okolie
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press International
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| Mazi Nnamdi Kanu |
The deplorable condition of Nigeria's health care centres that dot different locations of the country are not only shameful but pitiably disgusting. It is no longer news that the government of the day in the eyes of the civilized world, has totally failed in it's preparedness in the fight against the spread of covid-19 pandemic.
The prevalent empirical evidence of the State House Hospital which has reportedly gulped a whooping sum of N13.59billion (35,175,594 million United States Dollars) as budgeted by Muhammadu Buhari led government, is yet reeling in a sorry-state. This gravely "Unfit" State House Hospital was exclusively billed to cater for the medical needs of the President, key officials of the presidency and by extension, their families. Unfortunately, because of corruption and political intrigues associated with this regime, the said hospital has totally been reduced to a mere clinic. There are no drugs, reagents nor required medical facilities befitting it's projected status.
The non-availability of the aforementioned glaringly caused the chief of staff to the President, Alhaji Abba Kyari, amongst other notable dignitaries of the government infected with the coronavirus disease, to seek medical attention elsewhere. The tax payers money heavily invested in refurbishing and adequately equipping this State House Hospital, cannot however be accounted for.
It is notably indisputable that the Nigerian government has inadvertently ridiculed itself before the organised international community regarding it's healthcare delivery system despite assurances. And if this can be the fate of the rich at the corridors of power, it is evidently clear that the overwhelming number of the Nigerian populace has definitely no hope in emergency situations like the current outbreak and spread of the deadly virus.
As the entire global community grapples with the fight against this scourge, a lot of assistance is being sacrificially rendered to citizens irrespective of their locations within the country by kind-spirited individuals. Food items, groceries, drugs and other essentials, are being delivered to the people at their homes in countries where human lives/well-being are given premium considerations while in Nigeria, the government only clampdown on people via lockdown/sit at home orders without iota of commensurate palliative measures put in place to allileviate the unpleasant effects on the people especially within the Southern part of the country.
In the North, citizens freely go about their normal businesses without any harassment from the security operatives while money is freely being shared to them as a means of persuading them to stay indoors, in obedience to government directives. Nigeria is a crude entity, having different laws for different people depending on which divide of the country one is located.
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has emphatically given directives that isolation centres and hospitals be identifiably selected across Biafraland. These he instructed, must be promptly attended to. He had also released an initial sum of N50 million out of a contingency budget of N300 million, for the purchase of food items, drugs, reagents and appropriate medical facilities for distribution to selected hospitals in assistance to the Biafran people. IPOB is not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring that the well-being of Biafran citizens is adequately catered for throughout this trying period of the deadly virus pandemic. The earlier the Nigerians come to terms with the glaring realities that all are not really equal according to the dictates of the ruling caliphate of the north, the better for all.
Written by Ebere Okolie
Edited by Peter Oshagwu
For Family Writers Press International
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