BEYOND COVID-19: MAKING LAGOS A MEDICAL TOURISM CITY FOR AFRICA

"Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it with relative opacity."

―        Frantz Fanon, The Wretched of the Earth      

Like in the days of Frantz Fanon, the above quotation: "Each generation must, out of relative obscurity, discover its mission, fulfill it, or betray it with relative opacity;" was apt and true, and so it will continue to be true and apt for generations to come.  The truth is every generation like every man is born with a mission to be fulfilled or betrayed. And just like very few men discover their mission or purpose in life, so also is very few generations discover their mission or purpose in life, let alone fulfill it.  

As I said in my last write up on the above scourge, 'these are not the best of times for humanity...These are dark moments, a moment of despairs, of woes, of turbulence and era of darkness,' some battles have been won, some have been lost. Many battles will still be won, and some will still be lost. My prayers and arguably everyone prayer are that our wins in the fight against this invisible enemy of Coronavirus to far exceed our loss. 

With hope in our minds and determination from all of us, most especially the people at the battlefronts: the confirmed cases individuals, the health personnel, the volunteers, the countries decisions makers and everyone contributing to make our world safe again, we will beat this scourge to elimination or at worst a retreat. This is because, a determined mind, no one can stop. 

Coronavirus will come and go, but what lessons are we learning as a people and as a nation? No doubt, the scourge took almost everyone unawares as even the developed nations are scrambling for safety and help. Almost every country's health system has been stretched. The developing countries' health systems like Nigeria are being stretched and may be overwhelmed, and who are we not to be, but I'm being reminded by my inner man that Cuba as little as it is serving as saving grace for the nation of Italy, so it is not about the size but about the seizing of the moment. 

As humans, as a people, and as a nation; problems will always arise but what we make do with the problem is what counts. We may laugh it off as we do almost every situation in the country. For instance, in the midst of this scourge, I've laughed a good laugh. There have been so many comedy skits too many to recall. Is it of the adults who are becoming overnight children like riding paper vehicles on sands? Or of those who have become jobless counting the number of seconds for ceiling fans to stop after interruption of the power supply? How about the floggings by security personnel of the civilian population? I cannot forget the guy who was filming the scanty street who was accosted by the soldiers. How about my friend who now noticed that most Yoruba actors now speak more of English in a Yoruba movie? The events in the last day is a funny but messy one, we just hope it doesn't get messy than that. 

In the midst of this storm, leaders have risen, some leaders have shined with it, some have recoiled to their cells, and some may be forgotten in the dustbin of history. Donald Trump, for instance, will have to fight tooths and nails to win this year's United States Presidential Elections (if it ever holds). The same is true of some governors and leaders in our climes. 

If there is anyone leader in Nigeria who has ridden with the storm and is rising with the storm; it is the Governor of Lagos State; Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu as if an election is to be conducted today, he is sure to get at least 90 percent of the votes if not 100 percent.  Across the country and across social media platforms, he is one man the people are singing his praises.  He and his team members are being given a clean bill of excellence. Is he doing something unusual? No! But he is doing small things in great ways. No wonder, all and sundry are given him kudos. This no doubt is responsible for the measure of support that Lagos State has received in the fight against COVID-19. I pray he and his team fight and win this battle well for Lagosians, Nigerians, and humanities as a whole.

Be that as it may, whatever success we may record from the fight against Coronavirus, it will mean nothing if we are not able to make our success story a long-lasting one. My question, therefore, is can we make Lagos State, medical tourism city for Africa after this pandemic? Is it feasible? My answer is emphatic YES! If there is any lesson I'm learning from this global scourge of COVID-19 is that man and every society is the architect of its own fortune or misfortune. This is the lesson from the popular phrase of our time: the virus doesn't move, we move it. Whether a man is infected by it or society is battered by it, it is preconditioned on what they do. 

Essentially, our scrabbling for medical facilities at the moment is based on what successive leaders have done or failed to do. After this scourge is over, I will be hoping that Lagos, which is the current epicenter of the Coronavirus in Nigeria becomes an epicenter of medical tourism in years to come through the conversion of some of these facilities that are being bought and received from donors. I will be expecting the Governor of the State to leverage on its present goodwill to bequeath to generation unborn befitting medical facilities capable of competing with the Johns Hopkins Hospital in the United States and St Thomas' Hospital of London. 

Poor leaders are overwhelmed by the challenges of their times. Average leaders solve the problems of the moments. Great leaders not only solved the problems of the moments but envisioned the future and bequeath lasting legacies for generations unborn. Governor Sanwo-Olu and his team can enlist their names among great leaders that change the history of Nigeria's health sector for good. By so doing, he will not only be helping the present generation to meet their health needs but also helping to boost the IGR of Lagos State for generation unborn. 

God bless Lagos State!

God bless Nigeria!!

God bless Humanity!!!

Sanmi Adekola is a Social Commentator and Founder at www.driveria.com.ng