The concept of compulsory medical check-ups for people is a fantastic idea, which I believe would have a positive impact on the lives of many. It doesn't surprise me that a lot of people don't place any importance on going for a medical checkup and it all beats down to the fact that we don't know the value of the exercise.
I used to be at this table until a few years ago when I discovered that something I could have prevented had gotten worse in my body system, and if not that another illness forced me to do the checkup, I wouldn't even know that there was a ticking bomb in me.
The checkup exposed the illness, and I was able to counter it immediately. Who knows what my fate would have been if I hadn't found out about my condition at that time?
It's the same case for many people and fortunately they were able to live with good health again while it's the opposite for some people.
I remember one evening when we were stuck in traffic somewhere in Ojota. The traffic last for about two hours and when the road was cleared, a particular vehicle didn't move from where it was. People tried alerting the driver only to discover that the man has passed away. We can't be too sure of whatever happened to him but if it was an illness hiding within his body system, a check up could have exposed it and force him to take treatment.
Understandably, going for a checkup sounds like a big deal, but it's not what many think it is and aside from misunderstanding what going for a regular checkup means, there are so many factors preventing people from attempting it.
These factors include the cost of registering in a hospital, which is cheap, especially at government hospitals, but somehow, there are those who can't afford it. The availability of health centers nearby is another thing we can't overlook, and the most concerning part of all is people having the mentality that they are medically okay just because they look good physically.
A compulsory medical checkup won't be an easy one from the government end either, and I can confidently say that many third-world countries, including mine, can't cope with this concept for many reasons despite the huge benefits attached.
Let's start with the fact that Nigeria has over 200 million citizens with how many medical practitioners and hospitals, not to even speak of the equipment available to run tests for the whole country yearly. We definitely do not have the resources, including manpower, to pull this through.
I remember clearly during COVID-19 when the cases increased across the globe. I don't know how true it is, but it was disclosed that there were COVID cases in Nigeria, and at a time, we had to start depending on medical support from even the severely affected countries. I remembered how we lobbied for oxygen tanks, which indicates that we are short of resources in the medical field.
If we can't handle just the few COVID cases we had, how do we go about doing medical checkups for over 200 million people yearly? I am not saying it's impossible to accomplish, but we have more pressing issues, plus corruption wouldn't let that concept materialize.
Another thing to consider is, would the check-up be free? While people take free things for granted, I want to believe that many wouldn't turn up if the cost of the checkup isn't covered by the government or it's very little and affordable even for the lowest-earning citizens in the country.
People are struggling in the hands of inflation, and we think we will just give up money that can prepare a derica of rice just to check if my body system is doing fine? A lot will prefer to use that fund for something else, so the government must be ready to cut the fee or make it completely free, which might not be possible because of the private hospitals.
They were set up to make money, so there must be provisions for them by the government; otherwise, they won't be part of this concept, which would drag things back a lot.
While these compulsory medical check-ups will help people detect their health conditions earlier, I believe we are still pretty far from making it a reality in this part of the world. If the government will ever consider this, there will be a lot of upgrades in the healthcare system, and I doubt that will ever happen soon.
Whether it's compulsory or not, I urge everyone to always check up whenever we can. Making our well-being a priority is definitely one of the best investments you can make in life, so let's do the needful always.