We live in a world that is as solid as it is, well, fluid. We can predict with certainty when the seasons will change, when the rains will come and when they will stop. On the other hand, we are caught unawares by disasters that no one ever dream of. No one except those who live in fantasyland and even they get rather shocked at times.
Our health is almost like the weather and seasons in many ways. Many times, we can see signs that can be a pointer to a particular condition. More often than not trained personnel would be right. Once in a while however even the most trained specialist gets some real shockers that make their knowledge be in doubt. You ‘never say never in medicine’ but then ‘common things’ also ‘occur commonly.’
Many diseases that we now understand their mechanisms now used to be mysterious some ages past. Some are still not clearly understood yet but, in all sincerity, there has really been great advancement in knowledge. The dreaded HIV infection can now be curtailed with use of medications. Malaria without complications now can be treated even at the lowest level of the health system But some ages past, it was a deadly disease.
People live longer in the developed world not only because of the goodness that development brings but because of their health seeking behaviours. Well, you may argue that even that in itself is a product of development. In a way, you would be right but then even in the not so developed world there are still people here and there whose eyes have been opened to this. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true for a handful of people in the developed world.
There are pictures of diseases that would be difficult if not impossible to get from the advanced world but we readily see them here. Why? There are many factors responsible for this but chief among them is the fact that they go to the hospital early and the diseases rarely get to those advance stages.
So, what is the point I am trying to make? Well, to start with God does not love us less. In fact, I would think He loves us more. But then that is just my opinion which may not necessarily be right. Even with the less facility and manpower we have many sudden deaths would have been prevented if only we seek appropriate help as fast as possible.
Osun State And Its “Tough” New Helmsman
The ages at which people develop some diseases is, for some reasons, getting lower and lower with each successive generation. In terms of radiation exposure and processed foods we are catching up with the rest of the world quite well but not so much with advancement in health care. We are also getting to use more machineries and vehicles with their associated risks of injuries from accidents.
Many road traffic accident victims will end up in the homes of traditional bone setters who would naturally make less demands than a regular hospital would. They would not require their attendees or should I say patients to do myriads of mindboggling tests like a hospital. Most times they would charge less and of course you would not be subjected to any surgery. Is that not great? The problem is, most of those attendees eventually end up in the hospital—worse.
For the lucky ones they would not be able to walk properly because the broken bones healed in the wrong ways and they would present in the hospital years later. Those who are not so lucky may present with bone infection some weeks or so later. There are those who are even less lucky yet who would come down with overwhelming systemic infections and gangrene of the affected body
part.
They would eventually spend more. Some may lose limbs or a part of it and some may even lose their lives in the process. So, in the end they actually paid more than was needed—much more than they feared.
As you are reading this now, I am almost certain that someone in some place in Nigeria is being convinced to take their ward who was just involved in a road traffic accident out of a hospital because of the cost of surgery and the incessant tests here and there. This is just one of the many examples that abound in our dear land.
The honest truth is that our health care system is far from the ideal equipment and manpower wise. We can however help ourselves by going when there is only one stitch needed. If we delay one may not be enough and then nine may be almost impossible to get.
So, do your parents or any of your close relatives have a disease? Go and get tested for it. I pray you do not inherit diseases but I also know some diseases are passed down generation lines. If you, have it there is no dodging it. You will not escape it by not taking the proper precaution and of course you will not “catch” it too by taking the precautions.
Ignorance they say is bliss but when the complications of a condition come knocking, ignorance is acoward, it will not defend you.
