Letters

Health begging: Attention, Oyo govt

IN different strategic places of the city is the blatant display of gory sight of children and teenage girls and boys infected with tumor, and chronic cancer in the mouth, head, and eyes, with the retinue of able-bodied men and women begging the public to donate towards their medical assistance.

The effect of this sight is contributing to the environmental threat in the form of psychological torture of the public, and this may lead to health hazards. One is worried because of the swarm of flies around the wounds and offensive odour oozing out of the wounds. Imagine the psychological trauma to the innocent citizens on the streets.

To what extent do we prove that the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) behind this approach are not using the helpless victims for commercial purposes alone? Are those able-bodies who solicit for funds for these victims doing it in genuine service or for ulterior motives?

One needs to sympathise with the families and relatives of the sick people, and the courage of those who are assisting them to raise financial assistance. Mention must be made of the daily contribution of the concerned public to this noble cause. Beyond this, one thinks there are other approaches the concerned families or NGOs can adopt to address this ugly issue.

One of the approach is sending a high-powered delegation to the honorable members of the Oyo State House of Assembly to see to the plight of the victims in the area of medical and financial help.

It is essential to note that the milk of human kindness is flowing in the veins of some members of the House, and they will willingly assist the patients.

Another approach is the passionate appeal to the print and electronic media in the city, urging them to take up the Save Our Soul (SOS) campaign. An individual philanthropist could also be contacted through these methods in order to sponsor the medical expenses of these young lives that are being ravaged with terminal diseases.

Another spiritual approach is writing letter to religious organisations to intensify prayers to the supernatural force towards the healing. The cause of this problem may have the demonic factor.

The concern of this writer is that a flippant display of deadly diseases in public places does not only portray us as a society that is insensitive to the needy to the outside world, but questions the drive of the Oyo State government to make environment in Ibadan clean physically. Psychological cleanliness is also next to godliness.