Utomi, Nigerians abroad form telemedicine initiative
Prominent political economist Professor Pat Utomi has formed a group to address the problems Nigerians encounter in the healthcare system, along with a few Nigerian physicians practicing in the US and the UK.
This was revealed on Tuesday during the group's first virtual meeting, during which Utomi confirmed that Nigerians have been effective in inspiring others to succeed globally.
"To help citizens take back and shape a country of promise now left in ruins by politicians," he claims, the Healthcare Cohort of the New Tribe would "map and guide a rebirth of healthcare in Nigeria."
Utomi said that the idea was adapted from the ancient Greeks, known as Tribesmen, who healed people from social ills in a news release headlined "We Can Save Ourselves And Shape The Future For Our Children."
"Our objective is to build a moral tribe of citizens who uphold the dignity of the human person, speak and live with integrity, celebrate the work ethic and entrepreneurial creativity, and cling to merit with inclusivity, as the core of the social order in which we recognise that I am because we are," the statement stated.
"To operationalize the vision, this new tribe has formed two sets of cohorts in a cluster of 14 and 7, respectively, for sectors of intervention and mode of organisation." The tribe is attempting to turn talk into action.
"Dear friends and compatriots," the lecturer uttered. Even if this gathering is merely virtual and brings together Nigerian healthcare professionals from as far away as Sydney, Australia, I have a strong feeling that it is a historic turning point;
As a cohort of our New Tribe, Los Angeles, California, Atlanta, Georgia, Saudi Arabia, Kano, Abuja, Owerri, Florida, and Lagos, Newcastle in the UK, and South Africa will lead the charge to map out and direct a rebirth of healthcare in Nigeria. This group will assist citizens in reclaiming and shaping a once-promising nation that politicians have left in ruins.
"Drs. Olatidoye and Olujie from Atlanta, Emeruwa from California, Zahtau Ibrahim from Kano, Okocha from Saudi Arabia, and Bagudu from Abuja are all cordially invited.
It was evident during the weeks of arduous work to increase the number of Nigerians on this work council of the healthcare cohort that they had evolved into a worldwide tribe capable of aggregating the good of the world in which they have thrived no matter the constraints in their path into a new age;
"By a lack of leadership, a collapsing culture, and the embrace of emotion over reason, all its people reduced sadly a country of pity as the poverty capital of the world, leaving society a victim of the absence of rational public conversation."
In the 2011 general election, the Social Democratic Mega Party's previous presidential candidate insisted that the group's decision to launch a novel act with the goal of surprising sceptics with what he called a "moral compass that will produce outcomes the world will discuss for a long time" was not coincidental.
"I'm quite proud of this day since it's when your combined abilities become the stage for exhibiting the triumph of the human spirit as initiatives flowing from your genius and compassion solve problems of both the affluent and the poorest of the poor as they work to up the quality of life within the challenges in our land.
"Many years ago, Tolu Ademujimi, the leader of the CVL group I formed, invited me to speak at an event at the Bisi Onabanjo University Medical School in Sagamu. The provost of LUTH, who was the speaker's next speaker, concluded by calling the Nigerian health system a "man-made disaster."
"Reversing the harm that humanity has caused to Nigerian health care is one of this cohort's main objectives.
"Why do we so fervently want a new order, and who are we to dare so?"
In a working paper published by the IMF a few years ago, two economists from Columbia University, Arvind Subramanian and Xavier Sala-i-Martin, hypothesised that Nigeria would be better off without a government because the welfare impact of oil revenue, if it were distributed equally among all Nigerians, would be greater than the result of running the country as it is now.
Therefore, it becomes logical for people to work towards reclaiming their nation by expanding opportunities for welfare advancement despite the government. How are we going to approach this? We now turn to the ancient Greek knowledge.
According to the Greeks, self-centered individuals are the foundation of civilization. They referred to this group as stupid. The next category, moving up, is compassionate but only others with parochial linkages such as blood, language, and religion. These they called tribesmen. For tribesmen, all not of the tribe are enemies to fight ferociously.
Those who experience a sense of shared humanity and solidarity with others for their humanity, regardless of geography, belong to a higher group of people in society. They referred to these as citizens.
"Our mission is to build a moral tribe of citizens who uphold the dignity of the human person, speak and act with integrity, celebrate entrepreneurship and work ethic, and cling to merit with inclusivity as the cornerstone of the social order in which we acknowledge that I am because we are.
In an effort to operationalize the vision, this new tribe has formed two cohorts of seven and fourteen members each for the areas of intervention and manner of organisation, respectively.
"We are presenting the healthcare cohort brief to ourselves today; briefs on education, values, public accountability, electoral reforms, etc., will be forthcoming.
According to our pre-work, a portion of your cohort plan will involve the release of an app that we are now polishing that will enable doctors anywhere to volunteer two or three hours per week to see patients who are located remotely. There will be a lot of health education, primary health prevention programmes, support for hospitals, shopping centres, and healthcare facilities.
The volunteers, medical professionals, tech support staff, and administrative types comprise the Congress of the cohort that we propose. They will serve as the mainstay of discussions and thoughtful debates on the two entryways to be presented to us today, as well as the boots on ground.”
