HE walked into my consulting room with trepidation; an old face, not in any distress – at least, none that I could see on his face. He moved closer to me and whispered into my ears, “Would you mind asking your nurse to excuse us?”
It was obvious he wanted to say something out of the hearing of my nurse. I made a sign to my nurse and she immediately left the room through the nearest door.
For the first time, he smiled. The veil of grief or uncertainty fell off his face. His face lit up like a Christmas tree as he said cheerfully, “I don’t have an appointment for today. My appointment is next week, but I have come to confirm if the rumour of your death two weeks ago is true or false.
“ Now that I have seen you, I know it is blatantly false! I am glad you’re alive and well.”
I didn’t pay attention to his account of those peddling the rumour. It was unnecessary. I am alive and a victim of fake news!
The day before, I had received a story from a friend, a great journalist, about a new treatment for cataract. Much earlier on, some of my patients had called my attention to several advertisement publications on this alternative cure for cataract. The advertised eye drops is unique in that it is said to literarily dissolve the cataract thus making surgery unnecessary.
Several people had inundated me with questions on this wonder medication since the claim first appeared on the internet several years ago. And there are claims that the medicine had been tested and approved for use by some countries! Is there truly a medication that can cure cataract and make surgical intervention unnecessary?
It is “Not yet Uhuru” for such a medication. The claim is not known to the scientific world of ophthalmology. But it’s spreading like wild fire because 100 per cent of patients with cataract would opt not to have surgery!
There are two major scientific reasons why such an eye drop would not substitute for surgery. First, by dissolving the crystalline lens, it would significantly alter the physical and refractive states of the lens. The magnitude of change in refraction would severely affect vision.
Secondly, the resultant “plastic” lens would cause a worse distortion of vision equal to or more than what would have been caused by the cataract itself. It would, therefore, still be necessary to surgically aspirate the liquid cataract or physically remove the resultant plastic lens and replace with an artificial lens or a 3D printed tissue lens. There is one piece of good news for you all — a new medication that will delay the onset or progression of cataract is in the offing.
The internet is a powerful tool for information and disinformation. Unfortunately, once information gets on the internet, many believe it is the Gospel truth! The only way to check the veracity of such information is to search for it in reputable scientific journals or ask your medical doctor.
While newspaper reviews are often sensational and editors are not accountable for any scientific misinformation that may be peddled, articles in peer reviewed journals are supposed to fulfill certain professional and ethical conditions before publication.
After my loyal patient had left, my mind started playing some tricks on me. I asked myself, “Ben, are you really alive?” I pinched myself to see if I would feel pain as a further proof that I was alive. I smiled – a fake mind or self-doubt?
“Doctor, why are you smiling?” asked my nurse.
“I have just confirmed that I am alive by pinching myself and feeling pain!”
She wasn’t sure what I meant, but left me no time for explanation as she ushered in the next patient who was in severe pain. He had an eye infection and had bought some eye drops by the road side. He handed over the bottle to me. I was left in no doubt that it was a fake antibiotic medication. The crude label gave it away.
Sadly, the eye was already filled with pus. What started as a simple infection had become an abscess! With the harsh economic climate, it would appear that there is an upsurge of fake medications despite the great effort of National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to stem the tide.
The fight against fake medications must go beyond seizing and destroying impounded medications. “Fake minds” or Artificial Intelligence (AI) may come to the rescue. This is a topic for another day.
and then