A failing Grey’s Anatomy project…
Nigerian hospitals are short-staffed and the cholera outbreak isn’t getting better…
Happy pre-Friday, Big Brains. I’m finally getting used to the holiday being over but I’ll tell you one thing I can never get used to – Nigerians overusing the word steeze. I lose two brain cells every time somebody uses that word. We need to wrap it up as fast as the federal government needs to wrap up the “underpaid doctor syndrome”.
- Margaret
Word count: ~1,200
Reading time ~4 mins
Let’s get into today’s edition:
Nigerian doctors express worry over shortage of medical professionals
Federal government proposes $100 billion fund to promote and protect Nigeria’s cultural heritage
Kenya cancels bread tax after citizens protest
The Big Deal
Nigerian doctors express worry over shortage of medical professionals
Almost every Nigerian has lost at least one friend or family member to the japa wave. But friend groups are not the only unit affected by mass immigration. Most hospitals have lost some of their best medical professionals, leaving the lives of Nigerians at higher risk.
The Association Of Resident Doctors, General Hospital Ilorin (ARD-GHI), in Kwara is currently calling for more medical staff at hospitals. According to them, even the available doctors are now overworked because many hospitals in Kwara are understaffed.
Unfortunately, Kwara is not the only state in Nigeria where the doctor-to-patient ratio is declining. Last week, Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi said that Lagos currently needs about 30,000 medical professionals to balance out the staff shortage situation in the state.
Bidemi, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, told The Big Daily that falling sick in Lagos these days feels like a death sentence.
“Last month, I had a bacterial infection that attacked my immune system and left me dehydrated for days. I felt like I was going to die. The few doctors at the hospital were treated like celebrities and the patients were fighting for their attention. One day, I passed out because of dehydration and my mom tried to call for doctors. You won’t believe that these people came in the night, like four hours after I had regained consciousness. At that moment, my life didn’t feel like it meant much but I can’t really blame them because they had a lot of patients to attend to.”
Why is this a big deal?
Like Bidemi, many Nigerians have had near-death experiences as a result of the shortage of medical professionals in the country. In more unfortunate cases, some people have lost their lives. With the cholera outbreak, there is a chance that we may hear more stories like Bidemi’s.
Some Nigerians have complained about hospitals running out of bed spaces and doctors to attend to cholera patients. The doctors, who are leaving the country, are just like any other Nigerian – tired and in search of a better life. The doctors who choose to stay in the country earn roughly 10% of what most doctors in the United States, Germany and the Netherlands earn.
The rising inflation and cost of living may force more doctors out of the country before the end of the year. You wouldn’t be wrong to worry about the life expectancy of Nigerians at this point.
Federal government proposes $100 billion fund to promote and protect Nigeria’s cultural heritage
To all the content creators and photographers who took iconic shots during the Ojude Oba in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun state on Tuesday, well done! Your impressive work may have inspired the federal government to make another proposal that the country doesn’t need.
The Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa-Musawa, through his representative Musa-Musawa has announced the government’s plan to make Nigeria “a cultural hub” by 2030 and this goal is most likely going to cost the country $100 billion.
He also said that the annual Ojude Oba festival is being considered for recognition as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Cultural Heritage.
The governor of Ogun state, Dapo Abiodun, got major endorphins from this news and he confirmed that his administration is also dedicated to making the annual ceremony a source of global attention.
He explained that the festival, now a tourist attraction, symbolises and represents the unity of the people known for their hard work, perseverance, and industry.
"Ojude Oba festival is not only a cultural heritage for the people of Ijebuland but has also become a major event that attracts local and foreign tourists to Ogun State, showcasing our hospitality and the proud traditions of Ijebuland to both national and international audiences," he said.
He added that the festival gives the Ijebu people a chance to reflect on the past and plan for the future, an opportunity he would like to extend to the rest of the world.
"The state government will keep creating a supportive environment for community development across the state, and I ask for the support of the people, especially all sons and daughters, towards the 20th National Sports Festival, Gateway Games 2024, which will partly be hosted here in Ijebu-Ode.”
Yay or nay?
We are fans of the elegant traditional attires and top-tier colour coordination at the Ojude Oba but investing $100 billion in preserving “cultural heritage” when Nigerians can barely afford a three-square meal is a little …weird.
In the words of a very wise woman, culture is for only those who have finished eating. We hope the federal government diverts the proposed funds towards a food crisis relief program.
Kenya cancels bread tax after citizens protest
Oh, how we love the victorious smell of presidential folding! Like President Tinubu, President Williams Ruto of Kenya has been making some interesting decisions in 2024, including a 16% levy on bread.
The Kenyan government has now scrapped the bread tax and some other proposed taxes in their criticised 2024 finance bill.
Since taking office in 2022, President William Ruto has introduced several criticised taxes to reduce the country’s nearly $80bn (£63bn) national debt. But Kenyans are worried about the financial impact of these taxes.
In response, some people took to the streets of Nairobi, calling for the president to resign and chanting, "Ruto must go! Ruto must go!". During the protest, police fired tear gas and used water cannons to disperse the protesters. Some of these protesters were also arrested but some lawyers joined other Kenyans at the city's main police station to demand the release of the detainees.
Similar to President Tinubu’s advice to Nigerians to endure current hardships until his reforms pay off, President Ruto recently asked Kenyans to accept higher taxes while admitting that he knows it will be difficult.
Over the last two years, taxes on salaries, fuel, and gross sales have increased. A new housing levy of 1.5% of a worker's monthly pay for affordable housing has been introduced, and a higher health insurance levy is also set to take effect soon.
President Ruto has not yet spoken or reacted to the news. But this move which is seen as surrendering to public pressure shows that his government will need to try harder to get Kenyans to agree to these outrageous taxes.
This Week’s Big Question
“What’s that one book you think everybody should read at least once in their lifetime?”
Chinaza’s response - “I think everyone should read Stay with Me by Ayobami Adebayo. Still one of my favourite books till date”.
You can also share your response here and if it’s as interesting as Chinaza’s response, we’ll feature it in the next edition.
The Big Picks
FG, SERA Sign Agreement To Send Nigerian To Space : The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Space Exploration and Research Agency (SERA) from Delaware, USA, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to work together on human space flight missions.
First Bank Confirms Alebiosu as MD, Ebong As DMD: First Bank of Nigeria Limited has officially confirmed the appointment of Olusegun Alebiosu as the new Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the bank.
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