Investment In Health

I had the very unfortunate privilege over the past week of taking a loved one to the hospital in an emergency. This was a deeply collective effort that I have come to appreciate. It started with frantic phone calls trying to figure out the critical path forward. I remember calling a friend of mine with my family members. We called this friend of mine with a certain course of action in mind. To our surprise, he told us the exact opposite. He objectively said that “you can proceed with your plan, but it’s 50/50. The alternative that I propose may be better.” After debating the call with the family, we decided to abandon our plan and go with that of the healthcare professional. This was the start of an appreciation of how responsible and objective a true friend can be.

We called an ambulance, and it arrived on time along with extended family members whose help we needed. As we navigated the traffic, I engaged in a conversation with the paramedic driver on call. We spoke a lot as he navigated the busy streets. The situation though an emergency did not need speed but rather precision which allowed us to have a serious conversation. What is relevant went something like this. I asked him, “I am sure over the years, you have seen a lot of things and a lot of death?” He said to me “yes,” with a somber look on his face. So, I went on to ask him, “with all the death you have seen, what is the one lesson that you would like the world to know?” ?I could see his being come together as he answered in my language. He said to me, “I have seen a lot of very sad things in this line of work, I have attended to locations and seen horrors one can never get used to. And with that, the one lesson I would like the world to understand one day is that ‘to boast is a waste of time, (Kudada kupeza nguva.)’”

He explained in ways that can be summarized by saying that an ambitious man has many things that he wants, but a sick man only has one. An investment in one’s personal health cannot be quantified. The one constant in this life is that we are all going in the same direction but that doesn’t excuse the need to maintain the ability of life’s momentum by investing in your health.

As a salute to the brilliant people who assisted, I would like to use this piece of writing to advocate the critical importance of good health. Though we have sophisticated structures in time of a crisis, we also have the individual responsibility to take care of our health. It gives comfort to know that it is possible to reach out for help; sometimes this comfort can simply fail to exist.

?This was shown to be by another conversation with the nurse who was attending to my loved one. I asked her, “what is the one thing you would like the world to know given all the experience you have had attending to patients?” She smiled a sad smile and said to me, “the fact of the matter is that the ability to have good healthcare is a privilege that can never be taken for granted. We would love it to be universal, but this is simply impossible. Many come to hospitals and its heart breaking when they cannot afford it. Some people make it to the hospital when it’s too late. Some are in locations where it’s not even possible to have standard treatment. Yes on paper it’s a right to have good healthcare but practically it’s a privilege never to take for granted.”

This very unfortunate advice reminded me of the cliche that ‘prevention is better than cure.’ Why this cliché is a cliché is beyond me. Rather the same way one eats to create energy for themselves should also be supplemented by a lifestyle that permits an active investment in health. Reliance on the modern miracle of very well-developed healthcare system is expensive at all costs.

So, after getting the prescription from the doctor I went on to the pharmacy. But it’s important that I speak of the doctor on call. When you interact with a phenom, sometimes, you don’t even need to ask questions. The way she carried herself seriously and with gravitas shed light on an aspect of healthcare. In her I could see I was dealing with moral authority. Her diligence and care were awe inspiring. When dealing with greatness you simply do not ask questions, you watch. This is critical for me because it’s a stark reminder that the healthcare industry is dominated by extremely responsible and competent heroines. The data is undeniable with most healthcare practitioners being brilliant women all over the globe bringing an overwhelmingly positive force to bear with them.

In the pharmacy I met a serious and elderly woman working a cold night shift alone. She was very patient with me as I tried to organize my thoughts around the medications needed. While making conversation I asked, “surely you have seen a lot in the years of service in healthcare.” She said, “no, I have not seen the same atrocities my counterparts have seen in hospital. What I have seen are the people who take care of the people who are sick…” So, I asked, “What is the one important observation you made in your work?”

“I have come to realize that there are two groups of people. One group is united, and the other group are those who fight amongst themselves. The ones who fight are very interesting for various reasons. The fighting is usually reduced to one or more parties not cooperating. The other party sulk and take it up on themselves to take care of their patient. What strikes me is that it is never clear who is wrong or right. You see those who refuse to take on responsibility are just who they are. Sometimes without the means and being helpless is frustrating. At the same time those who have the means should be accommodating and understanding its not worth it, it’s just a different form of irresponsibility.”

This circles back to the first person I called. We could have fought the insight. The only incentive he had to be objective was that we were friends. Our original plan was actually to his benefit financially, but he rejected it. He insisted that our plan was 50/50 and that we should listen to him instead. That little contribution and our cooperation turned out to be the point of difference. Sometimes a little is a lot.

As said in the statement “kudada kupedza nguva,” and that a sick a man only has one ambition. Everything goes out the window when that ambition becomes the main ambition. With seriousness I write this article to encourage one’s personal commitment to their health and wellbeing. The lack of it has very negative derivatives with so many variations. I am weary of coming across as preachy but genuinely I wish no one the catastrophe of having a medical emergency. When these happen, things can go wrong at any moment. It’s like walking a tight rope for both the person who is sick and all the people who attend to the patient.

The very last question I asked before I left the hospital was to the last nurse on call after finishing the paperwork. The question was, “what factors have you seen that result in the highest chance of recovery?” He said to me, “I can never fully answer that question because to me it’s so many things. What I do know is that we take care of people and they do get better. The hope of getting better should never be lost. We do our best and on so many occasions I have been shocked to see patients who are critically ill do get better indeed. I see but cannot scientifically quantify the value brought by all the support given to patients. You see there are a lot of factors at play, the level of expertise and skill administered, the moral and financial support of family and loved ones, the individuals will and cooperation and a higher power above us. It’s better to take care of yourself and never end up here, but if you do end up here, please never lose hope.”

I want to thank all the doctors, nurses, pharmaceutical staff and support services in the health sector. Not only them but also the scientists, scholars, professors, advocates and institutions in the background that have revolutionized the world by keeping the individual’s life momentum going forward. It is a complex system to navigate, and I have very limited understanding of the field. This article is simply dedicated to all the unsung heroes who take care of people in their time of need. All the experts, parents, families, loved ones, doctors, nurses, scientists, pharmacists including the institutions that facilitate this to be possible. The appreciation of everyone’s contribution cannot be written in words. These unsung heroes keep the world spinning without too much spotlight on them. I have deep respect for the cause.

So please allow me to ask this last question to you the reader. If so many brilliant, hardworking, smart and responsible people can dedicate their entire lives and being into taking care of your health and well-being when things go wrong, what is the value of your health?

I write for an audience of one, I simply hope that it is you.

Kind Regards

Mufaro