Health, Religion/Superstition: How Nigerians Dies In Droves; Out of Ignorance. ~By Oluwaseun Fabiyi

December 2022 accorded a firsthand experience of how lots of Nigerians fall cheaply into the hands of avoidable deaths.

While it could be said that,all humans worship who or what they consider a supreme being; through their religious inclinations,it must be noted that, religiousness shouldn’t take away sound reasoning.

I embarked on a journey during the Yuletide,but had to rush back after 3 days, owing to certain urgent media assignments awaiting me in Lagos. While in transit, I had a somewhat sharp pain and continuous stomach arches that got me vomit over and over again.

At this point, while many would think resorting to only prayers would do, I had to explore immediate first aids,took some water and prayed to be sustained back to Lagos from a journey that should last 9 hours.

One must say that the human anatomy is such that is complexly wired by nature;to be able to communicate defects and faults;like machines. In the event that such faults are detected,it behoves on individuals to proffer immediate solutions, to avoid total breakdown of the body.

I got to Lagos and landed in General hospital, Ifako Ijaiye,where I was diagnosed and placed on admission. As a matter of fact,I “crossed over” into 2023 on sick bed.

The intent of this piece, is not to bore you with my health predicaments during the Yuletide, but to bring to bare, how many Nigerians lose their lives, as result of sheer ignorance, overtly religious leanings and being unnecessarily ‘over-spiritual’ in health matters.

My first disappointment at the hospital came, when a family brought in their 23 year-old son unconscious, with less than 18% blood level.

The young man,who is said to have just won a scholarship,to study overseas needed just 3-4 pints of blood transfused to his body,in order to regain consciousness.

However,his parents rejected the doctors’ diagnosis and prescriptions. To my utmost bewilderment,they opted to go only spiritual,saying they prefer taking their son to their church’s ”Prayer Ground;” along Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

While battling with my own pains, I imagined the great disservice this parents are doing their son, considering the enormous gridlock along that axis, especially that day being the 30th of December. I mumbled within me “why not yield to Doctor’s instructions as first aids;and then follow-up with prayers thereafter?”

Well, to the astonishment of everyone, they drove away, only to return very shortly with their son’s corpse. He couldn’t make it to the prayer ground. He was confirmed dead after doctor’s examination.

Both parents ended up cutting short the life of their son; because of sheer ignorance, and or stupidity.

In a sadly related encounter, a woman of about 45 years came complaining of going through some pains in her body. She was subsequently asked to run a test of just 28 thousand naira,but she grumbled all day long that the money was to outrageous. She also prefers to visit prayer ground,for her health predicament.

In defiance to medical suggestions, she murmured while walking up and down, but suddenly, she fell into coma and couldn’t survive it,as she was confirmed dead.

The most annoying and traumatizing was that, N80,000 cash was untied from her wrapper by her husband, who claimed she just took her monthly contributions. What ignorance!

I watched again,as a young lady of about 36 years-old slipped into coma. She claimed she mistakenly got pregnant by her husband just not too long after she had a child through Cesarean Section.

The news of a possible complications and related challenges landed her into this life threatening condition. Wouldn’t she have known better? Wouldn’t she have been educated on child spacing, family planning and other related issues? Yet another show of ignorance!

Many would want to sell the belief that,no amount of caution and carefulness would save from death,but it is wisdom,to refuse to be cajoled into living recklessly.

In another sad encounter, a rich man was diagnosed of been poisoned through drinks. When asked by the Doctor,he confirmed his driver bought him a soft drink a few hour to the time.

In a fight for his life,the man pleaded that the Doctors help save his life. Meanwhile,he said he had over 5 million naira in his car booth, which he and the driver just collected that night, thinking after public holidays he would have it deposited into the bank.

While doctors were making frantic efforts to resuscitate him,the man abruptly gave up the ghost.

There were many cases of unfortunate deaths;through ignorance and ‘over-spiritualism’ witnessed,but this few cases should be enough, to enlighten Nigerians that,no religion is against seeking medicare,as the wisdom in medicine is given by God Himself.

One can only hope and pray that Nigerians learn from these mistakes.