By Fr. Oluama
She was bitten by a snake around 8am, she could only get to a hospital with anti venom around 10am in the FCT of the country regarded as the Giant of Africa.
She lives around Trademore Estate in Lugbe. Imagine how many hospitals around that area she must have run to for treatment only to be told no anti venom. For goodness sake, anti venom should be in any and every pharmacy licensed by the government. I lived in Trademore and I know many pharmacies and hospitals around that environ.
If Ifunanya had got anti venom shot within an hour of the bite, she would have survived. Stories of people bitten by snakes isn’t new in Nigeria and yet they keep getting fatal for the same reason; government’s carelessness and the ‘anyhowness’ in the country.
Snakes are not like mosquitoes that we see every time, but just one unfortunate encounter with one can be life threatening. This is why anti venom should be in every pharmacy, not to talk of hospitals.
Avoidable deaths are heart breaking, they bring regrets, anger and crushing pains for the very fact that they are avoidable. Ifunanya’s death was avoidable by what i have been told by one of her friends and colleagues in the choral group.
The ministry of health should make the availability of anti venom a policy or criterion for licensing pharmacies and hospitals. Any hospital or pharmacy without it should be penalized or Shut down.
Nanya, rest in peace. It is unfortunate that many of us just getting to know you because of your death. You had so much to offer and were already on your way up. I hope you are smiling now and singing to your heart’s content. Rest in peace Nanya.
