Nowhere near normal
Ogyakrom Diary Entry 2.
Like many of us, I am holed up at home. I have been toiling at the desk pictured above. My University has swamped me with enough work to make you forget that we have a crisis of huge proportions, but alas, that is not possible. My unkempt hair is also a testament to the weird times we’re in (Man needs a haircut!). It is then with disbelief that I come upon tweets which entail plans of what they are going to do once Rona is over. Most people are assuming it will be over in a matter of months, and whereas that is possible, it is highly unlikely. Optimism has never been a bad thing, but the truth is we are very far from coming back to the normal we know. The virus might abate in the coming months, but we will not return to the good ole days.
I want us to be clear on one thing. The normal we all crave for is nowhere near us. Until a permanent medical solution is found to this novel virus, we cannot return fully to the old normal. Those linkups planned with friends cannot happen. You will not be able to go for that dream vacation without the fear of contracting the virus. You will not get away from your worrisome parents for a while. The earlier we get used to this fact, the better.
On the back of all that, I was quite alarmed when I saw the tweets below;
Whereas one could argue that it is not a fair representation of the population, this indicates that there is a lack of education in some sections of society. A close friend of mine also pointed out that there is a natural distrust of politicians and government in general among the populace. These problems, coupled together, has created a conundrum. The Information Services Department, in my opinion, has to ramp up its public education to eradicate any sort of ridiculous notions about the disease. Also, the government, through the NCCE and other institutions, needs to work on mending the distrustful relationship they have with the masses. Ignorance about COVID-19 can accelerate our infection rate faster than we all think.
Meanwhile, this pandemic has revealed to us how fragile our healthcare system is. According to HE Akufo-Addo, “There are eighty-eight (88) districts in our country without district hospitals”. This information is, by all means, very alarming. It was with great excitement then that I heard the President, His Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announce that 88 new hospitals will be built in these districts. Others have raised doubts over whether such a feat is possible. After all, we have seen promise after promise being put out and no actions being made towards the realization of them. However, looking at the track record of the present government, I have some confidence that efforts will be made at fulfilling those promises. I do sincerely hope that this is not a political lullaby meant to lull the electorate into a deep sleep. The People cannot stand another stunt, especially in these times. We, the citizens, will continuously be monitoring the progress of this project. That is all we can do in these times.
Numerous assignment deadlines are staring at me in the face so I’ll have to drop my pen now.
Stay safe guys!
Deo Volente!
PS: I would recommend keeping a diary and recording what you’ve done and experienced in the day. Also, include your thoughts on the state of the world. The diary has given me a sublet through which I can air out my thoughts and feelings, warts and all. That is what has kept me sane for a while now. I am positive it will work for others.
