Page 53 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 10
P. 53
COMMUNITY
tempted to forget our link with of modern medicine. The sick our very eyes, we observe ex-
the earth, and therefore become go to the hospital because perts and professionals taking
DIS-EASED. they are afraid of death, and over our lives, controlling it,
the healthy go to the hospital and forming a powerful clique
In the past, we used to hear because they are afraid of falling with a claim to a monopoly of
about physicians who provide sick. One way or the other, we knowledge, and restricting our
health CARE to the sick. Phy- have become prisoners of fear. access to the open book which is
sicians who genuinely care for Biohealth is not interested in nature.
the sick. Today, it seems what addressing the disparities in
we have are more of health wealth, trade imbalance and As men and women of goodwill,
specialists or professionals, who rich-poor divine in the world we must show a keen interest
help us fix our bodies when communities. Biohealth turns in the quality of advice given to
broken down so that we can away from the fact that pov- the government by our experts.
keep on moving. Yes, they may erty, unfair trade imbalance, Is the government getting the
have cured us, but do they really poor sanitation, poor nutrition right advice concerning health
CARE? Is health care in the and unbridled monetization of care and how to improve it? Has
modern world becoming more public health, is the root cause importation of sophisticated
of a business venture rather than of health inequality and poor machines into our hospitals
a CARE profession? health in the world, especially in in Africa (many of which do
Africa. not even have mosquito netted
Biotech or, Biohealth, is a new windows, regular electricity,
modern form of medicine that Bio health not only treats our and well-trained technicians)
focuses almost exclusively on diseases, but it often invents translated into more efficient
using high-tech machines to diseases and then goes ahead to health care and treatment? Does
diagnose diseases, even before provide the medication to cure bigger spending translate into
they appear in the body. In its invention. This medicaliza- better health services? In villag-
Biotech, patients are subjected tion of human life, from infan- es where there are no roads, no
to an endless series of expensive cy to adolescence, pregnancy, electricity, no western-style hos-
tests, just to detect illnesses that middle age, and old age, partly pitals, what form of health care
are yet to manifest in the body explains the rapid expansion of should the government put in
or to know the nature of already the medical enterprise in the place? Since the current health
diagnosed ones. Biotech diverts past 20 years. It is not health for system in operation in Nigeria
attention from the question all, but rather health for the rich, and many African countries has
‘How can people prevent ill- who make up 1% of the world not fully met the health needs
ness?’ to focus on ‘How can they population. Health for all, in the of the people, what alternative
pay for treatment?’ language of modern medical do we have? Is the government
capitalism, means the health of ready and willing to explore and
Whereas in the past, people go the 1% for the 1% and by the embrace the alternative? Do we
to the hospital when they feel 1%. honestly believe that the health
ill, today both the sick and the And what about the botanist care model of the developed
healthy are advised to head for and taxonomist who, while and industrialized counties of
the hospital to treat diseases that gaining a technical knowledge Europe and America is utterly
they may suffer from in 5 or 10 of trees and plants, have lost suitable to, or is practicable in
years. Has modern medicine knowledge of the forest? Or the Africa?
abandoned its role as a health- astronaut who, while becoming
care provider to become a health an expert in the study of the Africa is bedeviled with a de-
scare promoter? Fear is a very moon and the stars, has lost mocracy sustained by guns and
effective weapon in the armory knowledge of the sky? Before bullets. A democracy without
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