COVID-19: Lessons for Nigeria
Coronavirus, otherwise known as COVID-19, was brought into Nigeria on February 23, 2020, by an Italian national. Since then, the pandemic, which has been declared a global health emergency, has continued to spread like wild fire across the country, forcing states into lock down. Below are some lessons to be learned from the development.
* No man is an island:
Coronavirus has taught us that everybody can become sick or even die. Since the sickness broke out, both the highly placed and the ordinary citizen in the country have been battling with it. It does not even respect ones religion. Sickness or death is therefore no respecter of persons. Thus, we should learn to respect every other person, and to treat him or her with honour and dignity.
* Home is the best:
Whether North or South, East or West, home is the best and as you make your bed, so also you lie on it.
Before now, most of our leaders did not believe they would enter hospitals in Nigerian. Anytime they became sick, they were flown overseas to access quality medical attention there, leaving hospitals in the country, endlessly gasping for breath.
But with the coronavirus outbreak, nobody travels again. Everybody is compelled to seek medical treatment at home, whether these hospitals have necessary facilities or not. They must do well to give these hospitals the best of attention when we come out of this present situation.
It is worthy to note that both the federal and state governments have always treated healthcare needs and provision of essential public utilities of the citizenry with levity and utmost disregard – no basic health facilities, no clean water supply, etc., which had resulted to myriads of diseases and sicknesses prevalent in the country.
*Public health education:
Nobody takes public health education serious. Majority of the citizenry are left to wallow in ignorance, in myths and superstition. Both the Ministry of Information and the National Orientation Agency, are only engaged in politics and propaganda.
Since the advent of COVID-19, we now hear messages and jingles on radio and television, telling us that “coronavirus is real”, that people should constantly wash their hands, keep their environment clean, and maintain social distance.
We wish this health education would continue after coronavirus. Many people die in Nigeria due to ignorance and superstition. When they fall sick, they attribute it to witchcraft or attack from the village.
*Need to decongest urban centres:
Majority of people in the country are clustered in few of our urban centres. These are places where things are happening, where government’s attention is most focused. They are places to look for employment, where there are good roads, electricity and sometimes, water supply. That is why there is congestion in most of these urban areas. No social distance.
When sickness comes, it begins to spread like wild fire and begins to infect many people. That is what is currently happening in Lagos and Abuja, with regards to coronavirus.
Government should therefore try to decongest these urban centres by spreading social amenities to other parts of the country.
