Nigerian government has been urged to use the experiences of the coronavirus pandemic to retool the country’s health sector for efficiency.
The call was made by the Coalition of South- East Youth Leaders (COSEYL), a youth socio-political organization.
The group in a statement signed by Goodluck Egwu Ibem, its president general and Kanice Igwe, secretary general, also charged Nigerians to persuade the leaders to prioritize welfare of health workers as well as the upgrade of medical equipment and other facilities in the country’s hospitals.
The group observed that most politicians in Nigeria are locked down in the country, because Europe, America and Asia are also affected by the virus, stressing that the inability of these politicians and other prominent Nigerians to travel abroad for their usual medical vacations have exposed them to the local hospitals with obsolete equipment begging for changes.
COSEYL observed further that recent deaths of some prominent Nigerians/politicians, which has no link to COVID-19, would have been avoided, if Nigeria had better hospitals to attend to their various illnesses aside from the disturbing coronavirus.
“The question we must ask all our leaders: President, Governors, Senators, House of Representatives members, First Class Traditional Rulers, House of Assembly members and top clergymen is: had COVID-19 been restricted only in our territory, while Europe, Asia and America were free of it, would we have seen you people around?
“They’re only here with us because there’s absolutely nowhere for them to run to. Their inability to travel to India, USA, England and China, where millions of naira are spent to manage whatever they’re suffering from every three to four months, may have exposed them to our local hospitals with qualified doctors, but obsolete and embarrassing hospital equipment.
“Millions and if not billions of naira, are pumped into our health system every budget year, but we only have semi-dead health centres to show for it. Must we remain like this and do nothing after our experience with COVID-19 that’s yet to leave us alone?
The group eulogized Nigerian doctors, stressing that most of them have distinguished themselves abroad, because they were offered good working environments, periodic training and better working condition.
COSEYL decried the fact that hospitals built by past leaders are in comatose, because current political office holders prefer foreign medical treatments, instead of improving and expanding the ones they inherited.
“We cannot address this issue by complaining in our various houses. We therefore charge every concerned citizen to make frantic effort to meet your town union leaders, traditional rulers, federal and state legislators and if possible, speak through your priests, pastors and imams.
“Write it on placards, display it in church services for the priests to see and speak out; display it to the president and his team, and display it to your representatives whenever they come to tell you about politics and all that.
“Display it to your Governors whenever they boast of what they’ve done, display it to your wealthy brothers to remember that as they’re spending money, building hotels, private universities and churches. Let them know that hospitals are also wonderful investments.”
