By Sarja Jarjusey
If time persists more than the existence of mankind, the veracity of this paper won’t be denied. It took me 8760 hours, 21900 minutes and 525,600 seconds to put up a paper like this, and this comes once in a lifetime.
The daily sacrifices of our health workers are matched to none, and the under-recognized efforts of their daily lives makes me not to be quiet anymore, but celebrate them like how we all celebrate our maiden qualifications to AFCON 2021.
Untold sacrifices are never valued, and told sacrifices are never believed. When I look at the conditions of some of these health workers vis-à-vis their work environment, I run into tears, not because I have lot to cry, but their burning desire in serving their motherland at all cost makes me weep.
To start with, weekends are precious moments that we all love to spend in an awesome way, but these set of people are deprived of that enjoyment, not because they get extra pay for extra time – that has never been the case, they sacrifice because if not them no one else is there to do it for them or replace them, as each of them are endowed with a skill that one can’t be a suitable substitute for another.
I have known a healthcare worker who got involved in an accident and nobody was there to stand for him, except the family – not the work place. The only message they got to received was, “wish you speedy recovery”. What is the point of having empathy for someone when you don’t actually work to improve the service and social needs of that individual?
I have known many of such scenarios but all can’t fit on this paper, and time won’t permit me to express myself or flow like a stream without making waves for thousand miles.
These and many other reasons make them to be opportunistic because the system cares a little about them, and anyone that has an opportunity for a better prospect leaves without a farewell. If we are to be honest to ourselves and ask this question, how many of the top notch individuals had left us?
Well, the answer is crystal clear and white like milk. This is not only about the system, but those people that dictate the system and choose who to be invited at the discussion table.
Syntactically, analytically, literally and pragmatically, the healthcare workers deserve something better. They aren’t asking much, but rather to give Cesare what is for Cesare. They deserve a better work place, motivation, encouragement and a health insurance.
I have seen people who took their last breath while working to save others. I have seen others that have died before their time because they didn’t get necessary help. As we can’t put the cause of war on gun, likewise the matter of handling and promoting the welfare of healthcare workers is a duty on all.
The society sees us as corrupt people, and yet we have millions that aren’t corrupt. Thus, you can’t paint all healthcare workers with the same brush. It will interest you to know that we have the coolest and the most vibrant healthcare workers across, and their integrity is unquestionable.
You call us rude, whilst we all learn ethics in our various disciplines, and even how to talk to anyone, particularly the one that comes to seek care. You call us drug peddlers whilst we have insufficiency of drug supply, and some of the healthcare workers dip into their own pockets to buy medication for some patients because they always want to make their clients happy and do the best for them.
Finally, its high time I sealed the fountain of ink flowing from my pen, but I cannot stop writing without commending the sacrifices of healthcare workers. Another typical scenario is the Covid-19 vaccination. I saw healthcare workers missing prayers, breakfast, lunch, and to an extent of being abused. But guess what?
Anytime their supervisors reach out to them for any task, they execute it without delay. Some pay three fares to get home, some find their kids already asleep, and some go to bed in hunger. But all in one, and one for all, their love for the service remains!
Today I couldn’t say much because I have a story to tell, and I want the world to stand with me to narrate the story, for recognition of these fellas, and for them to be heard.
Just like there is no free lunch serve on the table, and for every boy there is a man, every girl a woman, every tree a forest, and every fish a river. The society, the authority and the media must try to portray the image of these people as many don’t know the inputs of these people. The healthcare workers think what they are, and not how the society see them.
Until then, I remain hopeful that the untold sacrifices will be valued, and told sacrifices will be believed.
