COVID-19 was termed killer diseases. However, the mortality rate shows that it is not as deadly as we may have thought. For instance, according Worldometers as at early morning of 1st of February 2021, only about 2.1 % of the over hundred million cases recorded worldwide resulted to death. 75% have recovered, hale and hearty.
According to his brother, he travelled down to Nigeria in October 2020. As a rich and illustrious man, during the Christmas season, he was here and there. He partied with the crème-de-la-crème of the society. Doing all this razzmatazz but unknown to him…
On Christmas’ eve, he complained that he was feeling unwell and his benevolent family did well to supply him bitter kolas, local herbs and ginger. Their localized first-aid attempt had no effect.
As a matter of fact, he started complaining about shortness of breath. Could the shortness of breath mean the life of this 64 years old generous man is about to be cut short? His family didn’t want to think it. They don’t want it.
His brother said he ensured he had the attention of all the doctors a phone call could reach. After one of those phone calls, an oxygen cylinder was whisked to his mansion. They would do everything in their power to keep the Aare Ona-Kakanfo of Owu Kingdom alive.
On the 13th of January 2021, Prince Bolu Akin-Olugbade would later die of COVID-19. He died at Paelon Hospital in Lagos. His condition had deteriorated to a point where he couldn’t ride in the convenience of one his Rolls-Royce to get hospital treatment; instead he was carried hurriedly to the hospital in an ambulance.
When you think of his death you will get angry: angered by the fact that his family was subjected to pay a whooping sum of 10 million naira before the deceased was granted a hospital bed as a COVID-19 patient. Still enraged, you will introspect about the hope of the poor masses amidst a reported COVID-19 Spike.
Definitely, you will have all the right to be angry; if a billionaire like Bolu Akin-Olugbade could be subjected to hassle of getting a hospital bed, what is the hope of thousandnaires and the penniless masses?
COVID-19 was termed killer diseases. However, the mortality rate shows that it can be controlled and it is not as deadly as we may have thought. For instance, according Worldometers as at early morning of 1st of February 2021, only about 2.1 % of the over hundred million cases recorded worldwide resulted to death. 75% have recovered, hale and hearty.
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The awareness of the low mortality rate does not repudiate the need for people to take COVID-19 preventive measure serious, as we all know that our healthcare system Nigeria as in other part of the world is too frail to carry the burden of many cases.
It, however, pegs the fact that if citizens can comply with preventive measure and if government prioritizes the improvement of the health sector, the fight against the pandemic will be less bloody.
There is a new virus that I have just uncovered, and I dare say, it is the killer. It is Negligence. Old as this virus may be, it is renewed as each day passes.
If we say we are committed to the safety of the people, then we cannot watch them die like chickens; making them suffer in pain is not less bad.
A poor healthcare system characterizes our lack of commitment to the safety of the people. Neglecting the idea of taking proactive actions to change the status quo is a virus that has killed many people like Bolu Akin-Olugbade and may kill a lot more, if actions are not taken.
Many cases have been reported about the negligence shown by hospital workers when treating COVID patient. A lady identitifed as Bunmi, shared her experience about how her mother was left to die at a London hospital during the pandemic. She alleged that no one treated her. The example is just one among several others.
While I am yet to dig into the reason why a well-learned man like Late Bolu Akin-Olugbade would not seek proper medical attention before things got complicated, I will never be able to understand why a sick patient will have to make a camel go through the eye of a needle to achieve good health care in his fatherland.