You know there was a period when the spread of blood borne diseases was at an alarming rate...when you go to a patent medicine dealer for injections, he boils his used syringes and uses it on new patients...little did they know that it was an ineffective way of sterilising materials used in hospitals.Matter of fact there were public enlightenment programmes like injection safety classes which frowned at such practices...the teaching is you are not even supposed to recap your needles, you discard all sharps not to talk of reusing them.In order to make this practice feasible, syringes became readily available and very cheap...this was well imbibed by the society and it brought about a significant decline in the rate of transmission of blood borne diseases like HIV, HBV, HCV.With N500, you could get a carton of syringes (100 syringes with needles), you can afford to waste 10 on a patient and you wont even bother because it is just like N50, no sweats...as of this afternoon, a carton of syringes goes for N4,000...'#'yawa'#I cant help but ask,where did we go wrong, what is happening' It is quite understandable that one has to buy a bag of rice for 20k, no wahala, we will manage but when it has gotten our basic medical needs like common syringes...would you be surprised if d hungry desperate patent medicine dealer goes back to the old ways of recycling used syringes so he can make profit'Now how many people can even afford health care'Many atimes you are just at work chilling, lets say you are less busy, your surfing the net with your pad, slamming Jidenna 'little bit more' with your Dre beats head phones, having a time of your life...next a surgical or medical emergency is rushed in, almost all of such cases do not have a dime on them but your obliged by your conscience and profession to save lives, so you have no choice...most times such patients get well and can't pay their bills, they stay as long as you allow then to stay, some run away, some stay for months in your hospital, get used to the hospital routine, they know the doctor consulting each day, know the names of all the nurses, become senior patients that welcome new patients and show dem around, friends and family come to visit them, their bed becomes a spot where relatives and friends come to kill tons of gist, some bring food, relax,watch tv and even encroach on other patients bed space.When you look at the cost of keeping such a patient considering the nuisance plus the bed space he or she is occupying, you mite have no choice but to send the person home at your own loss.What am I saying in essence, story no suppose enter some kine matter, no matter what, things like our immunisation programs, break in the cold chain because of erratic supply of power, stuff like that make you want lose your mind...It is painful o,its like diabetes melitus,suffering in the midst of plenty,we are a rich and blessed nation yet the people are so wretched...Well,to sum it up, lets stay positive,as long as there is life,there is hope...we have worked so hard to get here,lets be optimist no matter how bleak the future looks and keep praying that God should intervene in our pathetic situation!Dr. Iroha
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