The Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore all that is wrong with the Nigerian health system and the society at large. It has exposed how ill-prepared we are for large-scale emergencies.
This plague has been ravaging China since December 2019. Many countries that had access to the Covid 19 pandemic report scaled up their medical intervention strategies in order to mitigate against unprecedented outcomes. Nonetheless, countries like USA,UK,Spain and Italy never saw it coming, though they had an established prepared Health system.
As at the 21st century, Nigeria is still grappling with lassa fever that broke out in lassa town Borno state in 1969. The government hasn't decisively dealt with management and eradication of Lassa fever since the outbreak in Maiduguri.
Of recent, Lassa fever Killed 177 people in the last out break. In fact a certain medical practitioner by name Dr. Philip died of the infection while treating a patient. How prepared are we in tackling the lethal Corona virus when as a country we haven't properly dealt with Lassa fever that has killed over 150 Nigerians in the past 6 months? Currently, Lassa fever and other minor ailments like Malaria and cholera are killing thousands of Nigerians every year. At the moment, government hasn't shown a concerted effort towards totally eradication.
I think the government needs to also declare a state of emergency on it's health care management system as well as on lassa fever. Could Governments ineptitude towards Lassa fever be as a result of it only ravaging those from very poor communities?
A serious country would have supported a research home and abroad rather than waiting for it to happen every year.
Nigeria currently has 40,000 medical doctors to cater to 200 million Nigeria, it is far below WHO 1 Doctor to 600 citizen. Currently in Nigeria, it is 1 Doctor to 6,000 Nigerians.
I personally give it to our Medical doctors, indeed they have upheld the "Hippocratic Oath" principle. They evermore exhibited more patriotic zeal than our political leaders.