-Laments increase in mental illness in the country
In spite of the mixed reactions trailing the Federal Government’s recent declaration to make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for civil servants from 1 December 2021, President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Nigeria (PSN), Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa, has thrown his weight behind the decision, saying it is apt for the nation to achieve herd immunity.
He remarked that PSN NEC hasn’t discussed the issue of compulsory vaccination, though it supports the procedures, but as an individual, he personally backs the policy of mandatory vaccination, as he has enforced it among the people around him. Ohuabunwa made this submission Wednesday, while fielding questions from journalists at the pre-conference media parley at the Pharmacy House, Anthony, Lagos.
While the President of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Prof. Innocent Ujah, is also of the same opinion with his counterpart from PSN, saying the policy will help reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus and improve health-seeking behaviour of Nigerians; Dr Monday Ubani, chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association Section on Public Interest and Development Law, NBA-SPIDEL, has challenged the FG on its decision, threatening to sue the government if it goes ahead with the policy.
Ohuabunwa said: “We haven’t discussed it at the PSN NEC, but PSN supports vaccination. On whether it should be made compulsory, we haven’t made the decision, but I Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Iheanyichukwu Ohuabunwa, says it should be mandatory, because I have made it compulsory for people around me.
“I told my PA to go and get vaccinated before I return from my trip, and if I return from my journey and he is not vaccinated, we would redefine our relationship. Initially, he was saying he doesn’t like to take the jab, then I told him that if he doesn’t like it, that means he doesn’t like his job. He can go and get job where he can dictate for his boss, because I am vaccinated and my wife is vaccinated, but if he don’t want the jab, he can go where he can live with his belief. By the time I came back, he has been vaccinated. He is still alive and I am alive too and nobody is being magnetized.
“People have said there is no COVID and they have died. Are we going to go and meet them where they have gone to start blaming them for their actions? There are certain things you can’t brag about, of course you can’t make iyanga for COVID, saying’ I’m too big to be vaccinated’, ‘this can’t happen to me is a lie’”.
The number one pharmacist in Nigeria also lamented the gross increase in mental health crisis in the country, saying the rate of psychosocial stress is alarming on citizens, as a large majority of Nigerians have lost their sense of self-worth, as they resorted to begging for survival. He cited several examples of people who used to be well coordinated years back, now easily losing their calms and getting provoke over the slightest issue.
He called on Nigerians and government to be on the lookout for people getting mentally deranged losing their self-worth and engaging it shameful activities without any sense of shame.
“I may not have an actual statistics of people with mental illness, but I have observed that peoples’ fuses are getting shorter. The amount of time it takes people to get angry is becoming shorter and shorter. Those who used to get provoked in two hours now become angry in one minute, immaterial of what you say to them; they misinterpret it and give it different connotation.
“Again, the degree of begging has skyrocket in recent times, as people have thrown shame overboard, which means they have lost their self-dignity. This shows that mental illness is real, and family members shouldn’t wait until a man start pulling off his trousers in public before they rally round him for help” he stressed.
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, Pharm. (Mazi) Sam Ohuabunwa, has thrown his weight behind the decision, saying it is apt for the nation to achieve herd immunity.){kind=link}