Spirituality is more than thumping our chests in pride over how blessed materially we are, or crouching in a corner deep in meditation oblivious to the pain and suffering all around us. I believe that making a difference in the life of someone without reminding them of your generosity or demanding payback from them is what is truly holy. Thus putting in place measure to bring healthcare services closer to the people should be considered a religious duty.
You see, the level of commitment, dedication and selfless efforts needed to make it a reality is trying even to the most patient of us all. This is what causes many to despair and opt out of any initiative to help such causes. Health activism is a cause that is spurred by passion and fueled by altruistic motives of the greater good. It is a broad concept of social awakening where the conscience will not give you respite from the knowledge that you could have helped but didn’t. And the more you escape into individual ambivalence, the more you shall regret not having done anything.
Health activism can be overt and public in the form of diplomatic maneuvering the corridors of power to petition for the under privileged. This is a full time job that has its perils of threat from all quarters that have a lot to lose from the poor getting better healthcare can be liberated from their control.Also,it has no financial reward that many of us worship. Specific actions in such cases could involve pressuring the lawmakers and senior bureaucrats at the health ministry to pass a bill extending the coverage of immunization programs to include other communicable water borne diseases like typhoid and childhood rotavirus diarrhea. This is especially true in the slums. But this form is limited by the resources in time and money to push the agenda for the powerless.
As you read this right now, probably the cook or the watchman’s kid is sick and he cannot afford to take them to hospital. But are you approachable enough for them to count on you to help give them a soft loan and the time off to take the kid to hospital? Change starts with you. This morning, ask the house help how she is fairing on with life and be open and frank with them. You will be surprised at the amount of burden they have to bear, yet manage to tend to your every whim and wish all day long for a meager minimum wage. So my appeal is this, take it upon yourself to be your brother’s keeper and ensure the less fortunate have a better health status, for the benefit will be great for this nation.
It pains me that someone will not get medical attention today because they don’t have the token 20 bob for registration at the government health centre 40 kms away.So,I ask you if you are near one such person to pay it on my behalf and it would ease the pressure on my conscience. Look past the ethnic and economic barriers that separate us to help in one way or another, for this is what humanity is all about, individual activism.
At the community level, our only hope is with the health workers who almost like mercenaries out to kill time, watch the clock at the lounge of the health center.My appeal to them is to serve with diligence and compassion. Because frankly speaking,timely services would ensure that the masses flooding our hospitals get attended to and resume work for the day, even if for half the day’s wage to feed their family even if only for one more meal.
Compassion and devotion to serve is all that separates the health workers from the other occupations and makes this a calling. Contentment thus, should come from within and not from material rewards.That said it is ironic that the one profession we all look up to in times of needs and in hope have to work in harsh conditions while still sacrificing their good nights sleep to be in the theatre to carry out the emergency operation and in the morning hope to catch a thousand winks before continuing with the day shift,all for a meager salary.
I have to tentatively hope that the media and social forces of change have a role in creating awareness of the various factors that determine health outcomes, in order to ensure sustainable gains in healthcare delivery in all counties.After all has been said and done,I do believe that the rich nations of the world are so because of the health status of their populace and not vice versa.Abuja declaration of the government spending 15% of GDP on healthcare has has been cited many times as a magic wand that would ensure attainment of Millenium Development Goals(MDGs).I just hope one day soon we shall realize that we unless the country's leadership makes the right choices to improve the health of the people we shall be having only limited and refractory successes that cost more on the health system and the nation.Real change starts with #Healthreforms today.
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