I was bemused when I read (some years ago) the lamentation of our first security officer, the Inspector – General of Police (IG), on the pages of our newspapers that too many policemen were dying fighting armed robbers.
My heart goes out to these brave officers and men of the police force who have laid down their lives so that the rest of us may live in peace.
However, I ask myself: ‘Must they die? Must they die in such large numbers fighting crime?’ Something must be wrong! Maybe our strategy. Maybe our planning; maybe our intelligence gathering or surveillance system.
Now, it must be obvious to us all that it takes more than armoured tanks and high profile bullion vans to fight armed robbery. We must remember the police are in uniform and can be easily identified by men of the underworld. They are up against men and women they don’t know but who know them inside out.
What has this to do with “You and Eye”? said Mr. John. “It is easy to discern,” I replied. “A medical doctor is like a security officer fighting crime (or ‘disease’) against the body. For a successful fight against disease, the doctor must have all the information about the disease at his finger tips.
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He stays in the hospital and patients keep on coming to see him. He is overburdened and keeps on lamenting like the IG. “I saw 50 patients yesterday and today I have seen 100. I am tired! We need more hands! Some of my colleagues have contracted some of the dreadful diseases while combating them and died.”
“Isn’t it obvious that the policemen and medical doctors have something in common?” I asked. I didn’t wait for the answer. “Yes, they are both waiting for the ‘criminals’ to attack and they only fight back!” I replied, not realising that I was talking to myself. “It is difficult to win a battle when your opponent dictates the time, place and weapons of war! Isn’t it therefore obvious that the only way that the doctor or the policeman can win the battle is to control these variables that are essential for victory?”
“Dr. Ajayi, I agree with you but I am yet to see what this has to do with your ‘You and Eye,’ said my very good friend Mr. Akere. “Just be patient. Let me land! I promise you the relationship will be very clear in a minute.”
We have been talking about blindness in Nigeria but we don’t really have authentic figures. We have been using estimates. Patients are going blind and we are able to treat a tiny fraction of them. Hitherto we’ve made no attempt to find out where they were coming from and what was happening in their local communities.
We then suddenly realised that we should broaden our focus beyond the needs of our individual patients to wider communities and the public in general. If we can prevent disease from developing, we shall have fewer patients to treat. ‘An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of treatment.’ We shall save a lot of money which can be used for providing other social services.
Therefore in 2005, with the support of some international agencies, the National Committee on Prevention of Blindness embarked on a nationwide blindness survey. The survey has now been completed and the results are ready and will be made public in the next few days.
Thus, we shall know the actual numbers of blind people and those with low vision; the various causes; the communities from which they come and factors involved. It will then be possible to calculate scientifically both human and material resources needed not only to tackle the problem but also for our prevention of blindness programmes.
“Mr. Akere, can you now see the convergence of the work of the police with that of the medical doctor?” I teased. “Yes, I see, but you don’t use guns and bullets,” he fired back. “Unfortunately we do! We use syringes and needles and give shots,” I replied jokingly.
I am most anxious to have the results of the Nigerian Blindness Survey and at the earliest opportunity will share it with ‘You and Eye.’
and then