Nigeria as an emergency clinic parable by Yinka Olaito

Accident and Emergency clinics by their names are created purposely to safe lives. It aims to reduce casualties and ensure life’s continuity. Unfortunately, here in our clime, they do not serve such purposes but just a claim of it. A walk into most of what we call Emergency clinics here will leave a sour taste in one’s mouth. Not many of them are well-equipped, clean and spacious. For many, the stench is enough to kill a semi comatose patience.

The essence of this piece is not about emergency clinic per se but to draw a parable from my experience and what the present Nigeria looks like to many. In early November, I was down with a severe throat and ear infection.As as rule, I do not consult any doctor just because of the title. I am careful to find out first if my life will be safe entrusting it to his/her hand. I have had bad experiences before and have heard great ‘testimonies’ of others who had been unfortunate for consulting supposed qualified doctors.

So, I first checked with few friends who could come up with recommendations. With the advice, I was given, I consulted one who gave me some antibiotics as well as pain relievers when the pain became excruciating. After a while, I sought to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. As we know, getting appointment with such can be days or months depending on who you know and who you are. Someone today was telling me he went to Lagos Teaching hospital yesterday to seek an appointment with one and the earliest time they gave him is April 2017. What happens between now and April 2017?

Fortunately, I got a week appointment with one. Two days to the appointment, the pain became unbearable and I had to seek immediate intervention before the appointed day. So I went to Federal Medical Centre Accident and Emergency clinic here in Lagos around 8.00pm. With pain I approached the officer in charge of record or something to help me locate my file so I could see a doctor in charge.

The lady asked few questions and concluded mine case was not an emergency case as I should have come in the morning if it was that severe and thus insisted I should go home and come back the following morning. To her, since I was able to maintain a composure and nobody carried me to the clinic, I am still ok. I insisted I wanted to see a doctor but she would not listen. She asked me to leave which I refused to do. I had to make calls to a doctor friend I knew there but who was not on duty if he could intervene. Through phone call he tried to appeal to the auxiliary nurse who could help but he could not get anything done.

So he prescribed some drugs on phone and advised I should come the following morning. I started making phone calls and talking at the top of my voices about attitude of officials there and calling for punishment. At long last, one of the staff on ground became afraid and stylishly came to collect my card an brought out my file. I eventually saw doctor in charge and told her my experience. she told me that was a mechanism to reduce work overload they are daily faced with etc.

Looking at Nigeria today, tell me which sector is not an Emergency clinic? A place to safe lives and futures of over 180 Million Nigerians. But what are we getting in return? Excuses, promises, over bloated budgets, bad policies that seem not to be helping anyone. Some of the technocrats, officials who are supposed to absorb our pain with their two hands are putting mechanism in place to make sure nothing happens to their lives. Our Legislatures keep awarding contracts and buying cars at the expense of doing what is right. Constituencies allowances are made provision for yet we have not seen any impact.

We cried change, change. We are moving from from budget of change to budget of recovery. But hey, How many people in the common class has the budget helped? Instead of the oppressed to speak out, they will rather divert energy and their hard earned money into shady schemes.

Nigerians never learn lesson. As followers we accept anything and continue as if nothing is happening. Our energy, health, justice and education sectors among many are in comatose with urgent needs for revival yet both the officials and the mostly affected people, artisans will rather keep quiet instead of speaking up. We will rather go home and suffer pain or die than insist on receiving urgent attention.

Did I also remember to inform you that when you go to Emergence clinic the services are not free. So despite the fact you have money to pay for such services, you will be sent away with the money and a failing health. The only exception here is Power Company that will be glad to collect your money and never give you the light. Not quite long ago, Mr Simon Kolawole wrote an article on need to franchise Nigeria leadership for about 20 years. We know those who profit in this rots will never agree to that no matter how lofty such an idea is.

But what about the followers? Should we also franchise the citizens who accept anything and turn the other cheek when their right cheeks had been battered and disfigured because of constant battering that seems not to have an end in sight? Each time Nigerians ask question, at least fr the few who could, the normal government response is to go home and come back to the normal clinic as the ‘hands of the officials’ are already full.

When you actually go to the normal clinic, the large number of patients on ground will make you sick. Except you arrive early, you will eventually spend the whole day getting only palliative services which may compel you to come back again or seek another expert in a private clinic. The private clinic itself is also full of sorry tales. We can also see a parable of private clinics in our private sectors.

The question is when will this Emergency clinic called Nigeria start working at optimum level? I understand it may take a while if things continue this way. At the height of the fuel scarcity at the beginning of this administration, the Minister of Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, set up in motion a process to revive our ailing refineries.

We were all happy things have started looking up and hoping before the end of this administration’s tenure, we may have functional or at least something close to it refineries. Much have not been heard from that sector in the last few months. Only rumour and counter rumour of possible price hike.

We understand the part play by the saboteurs who are blowing up the pipes and associated evils. But it is because we all or at least people who can stop these people at that end are silent or are tacitly supporting them. If not such would have become things of the past. Other countries, albeit small, in Africa are getting it right or making strong efforts to make the change. Ghana had election last week and there was no bloodshed. What do we have in River state of Nigeria? Security officers’ heads were caught off.

Those who are in authority and should maintain peace made pronouncements which were capable of inciting trouble, anarchy and chaos. Will Nigerians (patients) continue to die in their numbers through ineptitude and lack of clear focus of its leadership? Will our Emergency clinic be equipped and function well like other nations?

Will our doctors (technocrats) be equipped and ready to work, offer excellent services instead of playing blame games and finding excuses? There is a higher calling on everyone to obey the clarion call so the labour of our heroes’ past will never be in vain.

By the way, did I remember to tell you that the appointment with the Ear,Nose and throat consultant never happened? The original consultant had to travel urgently so I saw someone one could call his assistant. My experience with that assistant too is a story for another day. He collected money for tests that were never done and offered very poor service. But thank God I am back to life anyway.