Victory for Vicky -By Dr. Richard Olumide Oyefeso

Dr Richard Olumide Oyefeso during the ANRP Medical outreach program in Ekiti State.

She sauntered in quietly and sat down for her turn to get a mini health screen in a small village in Nigeria.

She looked about 65 years old and quite healthy.

She calmly accepted the needle poke as we tested her blood sugar while at the same time checking her blood pressure.

Her BP was 164/98, high surely but definitely not alarming.

Unfortunately we had to poke her again with the needle because we couldn’t believe her blood glucose level. It was shockingly high. ..32mmol/l..about 572 mg/dl.

Without this discovery, she would have been found in a coma one day, within a few inches of her life.

Many would have been shocked at this outcome. Wondering how a woman who appeared so well would suddenly become so sick. For sure they would have blamed witchcraft or some other devil or ill will…not knowing the name of this witch is Diabetes Mellitus.

No doubt she would not have been able to afford to walk into an institution and pay for healthcare. The closest medical establishment is a glorified manger..another story entirely. ..

It was unnerving that she looked so well on the outside while being so sick on the inside. Perhaps that is the story for many of us.

There was a special joy that emanated from detecting her problem and giving her some simple practical solutions.

The memory of her face and story is seared in our hearts.

It is scary that there are so many like her in our dangerous country. Totally forgotten by a failed leadership and criminal government.

She has every right to a great healthy life like the loved ones of our leaders who consistently travel abroad for healthcare with added emphasis on ‘ear infections’

Perhaps most of our leaders have ear aches, perhaps they have heart aches, perhaps they eye aches too.

May be that is the reason they can’t hear, can’t care and can’t see.

Meanwhile we must continue to fight for our great people doing the little we can. We must speak the truth to power. We must engage this political process. We must install good leaders in this nation while eschewing the bad ones.

The only reason any one can lead is because they have the capacity and the vision to lead us to a great destination.

We may not have saved the world but we remember today warmly knowing that we achieved victory for Victoria!

My name is Richard Olumide Oyefeso. ..a proud Nigerian.

[Dr Oyefeso, a consultant physician is a leading member of ANRP Canada. He was the team lead for the ANRP free medical outreach held at two locations in Ekiti on Saturday 7 July 2018.]