The other day, I bumped into Yohannes, an Ethiopian and a long-term resident of the Kingdom. Upon inquiring about my health, I replied that I had been down with an extended bout of the common cold. You know the symptoms: Stuffy head, sniffles and the ancillary sore throat.
“I hope it was not the swine flu”, he replied showing a fair bit of alarm. When I assured him that it was no such thing as I was not feverish during my bout, he remained somewhat skeptical.
“Yohannes, my African friend, what’s with your paranoia? Don’t you sometimes catch a cold for no odd reason?
“Maybe it was transmitted to me when the guy I was standing next to during Friday prayers kept splaying the atmosphere around him with incessant coughs and sneezes. But whatever it was, it certainly wasn’t the swine flu.
“And besides, why are you so alarmed about this particular flu? The Kingdom has enough vaccine for those afflicted with this strain of flu. Just be cautious and keep yourself clean and away from large crowds if you are so worried. Don’t get yourself caught in a sea of panic for no reason,” I replied reassuringly.
And then he started into this mixed bag of conspiracy theories. The swine flu strain was developed in the US to reduce the population of the Third World. Africans, in particular, were more susceptible as most African countries had meager resources to fight this man-made pandemic. And the vaccine itself was harmful, as it had led to seizures and deaths. Doctors here were eager to dump this drug at us, as they really didn’t care much about our well-being.
Continuing on with a straight face, he added that this was a grand plan to seize Africa’s vital and strategic natural resources and curb their population.
Saudis, he said, should be worried too as they have oil. This was a macabre design planned by some very crafty people to discreetly control the rest of the world. The vaccine itself would render our people helpless, as he had been following enough medical reports to know better.
“Yohannes, thanks for the warning, but I really have to go now. And besides, the Ministry of Health has reiterated that no one would be forced to take the vaccine without his or her consent.”
On my way out, I wondered about his near hysteria. Perhaps it is the age of the electronic media where any clown can write just about anything claiming it to be the truth.
Even established media outlets have been proven recently to have fallen victims to such claims. And so, while my African friend’s fears could be considered outrageous, they are also understandable. Sifting through piles of contradictory reports can baffle any person.
Or is it perhaps that our lack of faith in the medical profession has led us to be wary of doctors and medication. Admittedly, there are some quacks out there. But that is not the norm. To put matters to rest, I was reassured by my daughter that such was not the case.
“Baba, doctors and nurses do usually get a bad rap here. But the truth is that it is more often the personality and nature of the doctor rather than the medication that is in itself half the cure. Those physicians who show genuine care and concern can be far more reassuring than all the medical reports in the world.
“I have been seeing a doctor lately, a Dr. Sakina Rabbani, and the way she sets upon her diagnosis and explains her treatments was half the cure. She puts me at ease with her demeanor and language I could understand. Even the nurses were very helpful. I know that they often don’t get the recognition they deserve from the public. But those I have dealt with have always demonstrated professionalism.”
Thank you Dr. Sakina Rabbani and all those medical professionals, including nurses for your seldom recognized achievements on behalf of those who truly need it.
