Medicine | A View From The Scandinavian

Nigeria Government Orders 100 000 doses of Vaccine

Based on Channels TV SUNRISE PROGRAM featuring prof Tomori, Alero Roberts and Tunji Funsho

Indirect Reports By Adeola Aderounmu

It is not often I wake up on a Saturday morning to watch a Nigerian TV channel. I have high disappointment in the role of the Nigerian media in the persistent oppression of the masses by the criminals in various government houses across the country. Somehow, I got caught up with SUNRISE (9 jan 2021), a program on CHANNELS TV and I learnt a lot.

“An idiot is still an idiot”
“Whether you are prominent or not, if you an idiot, you are an idiot”
“They are idiots, they are not prominent”
-Professor Tomori, reacting to so called prominent Nigerians undermining the coronavirus and the vaccine in Nigeria.

For this essay I would explain what 3 prominent Nigerians discussed with the presenters via video conference. These prominent Nigerians are Professor Tomori, Alero Roberts and Tunji Funsho.

At the end of this essay their names will appear as references. The essay is a mixture of their points of views and my additions.

These are what they talked about.

The Nigerian government has ordered 100 000 doses of covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer. Professor Tomori said that would be enough for 50 000 people. So, if Nigeria is a country (?) with approximately 200 million people, that means that the 100 000 doses is probably going to be rationed to the politicians and their families. Tomori also mentioned the disadvantages of ordering vaccine from Pfizer as it requires very cold temperature of minus 70 for storage. Nigeria does not have the facility for such storage. In the words of Tomori, the Nigerian government is stupid! He wondered why the Nigerian government ordered vaccines from Pfizer. In his words, Nigeria prepared for yesterday today while the rest of the world prepared for their tomorrow yesterday.

Tunji Funsho said whilst vaccination is very important, the priority now should be how to actually curb the vaccine in the next 1 year. He spoke about the need for dedication on the part of the population. “We need basic protocol to curb the vaccine”. He meant that the people must observe practices that would bring a halt to the spread of the disease.

“Stupidity kills and unfortunately stupid people are still going to die”
Alero Roberts reacting to people neglecting recommendations to stay at home and avoid indoor assembly.

Tunji Funsho said Nigerians should wear mask. He condemns congregations in churches or mosques. As a matter of fact, Tomori, Roberts and Funsho all were critical of the roles of churches and mosques in the continuous spread of coronavirus in Nigeria. Tomori said God is everywhere and people should sit down at home.

Tunji Funsho mentioned safe distancing even when we wear masks. He said that that the role of the government is minimal even though the government need to do more mobilization and he also emphasized the role of the media. I (Adeola) don’t know if I agree with him on the aspect of the role of the government. I think the government need to be more transparent on her dealings and to engage the people daily. In Sweden, the prime minister is drilled almost daily on issues concerning coronavirus and the health authorities organize daily media briefing during the weekdays. So, I think a Buhari in Aso rock should move his ass and address the press daily and he should answer critical questions about the safety of Nigerian lives.

Professor Tomori dismissed as untrue or unfounded the insinuation that vaccination will reduce herd immunity in Nigeria. He said on the contrary that vaccination will increase the herd immunity.

In terms of maintaining protocols and following regulations, the three discussants were very stern with their words and warnings. Alero Roberts said:

“Stupidity kills and unfortunately stupid people are still going to die”

She said she has friends who travelled to some places and came back home with covid-19. She said some of them are now queuing up for medical attention. We should have considerations for medical workers by not exposing ourselves to the virus and by staying at home, she emphasized. Alero Roberts said “We have a choice not to be an Obituary”

“You don’t need to go to church. You don’t need to go to the mosque. Stay at home. Keep away from indoor assembly,” she further emphasized.

While reacting to the video and messages by some prominent Nigerians urging Nigerians not to take the coronavirus vaccine, Professor Tomori said prominent or not,

“An idiot is still an idiot”

“Whether you are prominent or not, if you an idiot, you are an idiot”

“They are idiot, they are not prominent”

Professor Tomori would want Nigeria to emulate countries that have done well with the management of the coronavirus, for example New Zealand, Taiwan and Vietnam. He said the task force in Nigeria must begin to act proactively and focus on the people. He said the task force was not doing enough to dispel wrong insinuations.

Reacting to Ali Baba’s ordeal, the discussants agree that such ordeal should occupy frontline/frontpage news not just for a day or two but for a very long time to impress it on the people about the seriousness of the virus.

“How does it affect me that Buhari went to Daura” asked professor Tomori. He thought such news should not be the headline at a time when information about coronavirus should be a priority.

The three discussants cannot see Nigerians in general getting the vaccines until the end of the first quarter of 2021.

References

Professor Tomori

Alero Roberts

Tunji Funsho

Channels TV (SUNRISE)

A former Nigerian president, one Musa Yar Adua was transported round the world because of kidney problems and he eventually died in transit and was bundled home.

For how long will this continue? What is wrong with the black people in Nigeria? What exactly is wrong with us?

Shameless Nigeria: Waiting For China, UK, Germany and India

By Adeola Aderounmu

The topic l am about to address is on medical tourism and l have written about it on several occasions before under different headlines like “Let’s Go And die, Abroad”. A simple search on my blog with the word “hospital” will reveal that this topic is close to my heart.

In the 1950s, Nigeria had arguably the best medical facilities in Africa and one of the best medical deliveries in the world.

Fast forward to 2019, Nigerians are dying like cockroaches and rats as a result of absence of basic medical facility. Rural and localized health care have been thrown to the thrash.

Poverty has ravaged Nigeria. My term, “mass poverty” has now been adopted by the WHO and other institutions and renamed “multidimensional poverty”.

A poor, sick person in Nigeria dies without medical attention.

An income earner who gets sick spends all of his/her income and life savings on treatment.

Irrespective of your status, serious illness in Nigeria may become terminal and end your life even when medical sciences have solutions or medications that can prolong your life.

There are other variables that interplay with the situations highlighted above that determine the outcomes of various troubles with our health situations in Nigeria. For example, an accident may lead to death even when the accident is not life threatening.

Nigerians have now resolved to the social media mainly Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp to carry out funding for sick members of their families and close friends. In very many situations, sick people are left to die at home or in some ill-equipped medical facilities where the sick person is primarily responsible for procurement of medicine and payment for treatment.

Rich people travel abroad to China, England, Germany and India amongst other places overseas in order to receive treatments for various categories of illnesses. Nigeria’s corrupt politicians travel primarily to UK for treatment. The list is endless of where our politicians and rich people end up when they are sick.

As you are aware, Buhari is an out-patient in a London hospital and he had been a dictator in the early 80s and now a president since the last 4 years.

In my opinion, Nigerian politicians deserved to be arrested and sentenced to life time imprisonment starting with Buhari. I do not understand why in the last 4 years for example, he could not revitalize the health sector so that he can stay in Nigeria to receive medical help for his ailments.

I do not understand why the rich people in Nigeria are so foolish that they cannot use their wealth to build hospitals with world class facilities so that they can stay in Nigeria rather than risk long flights to reach help abroad.

I do not understand why Nigerians can come together only to protest against rape and not against poor medical conditions in the country. I do not understand why we have to raise funds on WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook for every sick person in Nigeria who need specialized help.

Nigerian doctors are scattered around the world and performing miracles every day in various hospitals around the world. The same is for our nurses. But back home in Nigeria, we have stubbornly refused to revitalize our health sector.

It is not only our health sector that has suffered. Invariably all aspects of our lives have suffered due to the impacts of politics. In 1966 the military coups derailed Nigeria and led us to a civil war. Some people said it was a genocide.

But we are under a system of government that has brought the dominance of the Fulanis and a very obvious failed system of governance.

What is the significance of all our brilliant minds when we cannot disown this useless system that has brought us to our knees, a system that has promoted genocide, terrorism and outright elevation of poverty beyond comprehensible proportions.

The unitary system was/is a free fall from our glorious heights in the 1950s to probably the most useless country to be born or live today.

It is very disgusting how we carry on hoping that things will get better whereas they are getting worse.

In recent weeks, billionaire businessman Otedola donated 50 000 dollars to former Nigerian international Christian Chukwu so he could receive treatment abroad. Christian is healthy now and back to Nigeria. Several people did not make it. They died at home or in a dilapidated Nigerian clinic/hospital.

I know a young man whose live is now hanging in the balance. He needs millions of naira to get to China for treatment. Funds are being raised on the social media, again! It does not have to be this way. There is a government in Lagos state. Why are kidney problems and other illnesses not treatable in Nigeria?

What would it take to divert bullion vans from the homes of politicians to investment in our health? What are we supposed to do so that we can be treated with dignity in our country, on our ancestral home?

A former Nigerian president, one Musa Yar Adua was transported round the world because of kidney problems and he eventually died in transit and was bundled home.

For how long will this continue? What is wrong with the black people in Nigeria? What exactly is wrong with us?

aderounmu@gmail.com