₦airaland Forum

On the afternoon of July 19, 2024, I was at the forefront of raising funds for an asthmatic patient, strongly supported by the market women at the Isinkan wood market, Akure. When I saw the man walking towards me, holding his chest and bending over, I crossed to the other side, though I was concerned. I hesitated when he kept beckoning to me.

When he waved something in his right hand and two women from the market walked briskly toward him, I crossed back to him and saw his inhaler beside him. He took out his buttoned phone and pointed at me, begging me to buy it, saying he needed the money to get to the hospital immediately or get another inhaler. The one with him hasn’t been working properly for him, and he said it’s a counterfeit.

I was dumbfounded and numb for a while. Then, one of the women asked him how much the inhaler cost. He said ₦9,500. "Ah! Nibo la ti fe ri bayii??" one woman asked sadly from behind, with her hands on her head.

Passersby started to gather gradually. One of the market women swiftly suggested that we could gather the money if everyone contributed a little. "That's true, but will people give?" I asked one of the women. Without thinking, I brought out everything I had with me—four two-hundred naira notes. I raised the notes, and the woman who suggested it burst out speaking Yoruba to persuade the crowd and passersby, while I spoke in English to persuade those who couldn't understand Yoruba.

People dropped their notes—₦100, ₦200, ₦500. Luckily, a man came around, asked what had happened, and dropped many ₦200 notes from his purse. The man even brought a half-bottle of water from his car when the patient brought out some pills. We gathered more than ₦9,500. I handed the money to the man and sauntered out of the crowd in search of a free motorcyclist. The man was helped onto the motorcycle and instructed to take him to the hospital.

The market women appreciated me, and I respectfully bent to thank the women, especially the man who contributed a lot. They didn’t know my mind was clouded with thoughts about the sale of counterfeit inhalers.

Two things made me more emotional: the sale of counterfeit inhalers and how people showed kindness today. I doubted it when one of the market women suggested fundraising for the man. Obviously, some didn’t contribute anything, but they showed they cared, and nobody brought out phones to make videos or take photographs.

I mean... are inhalers not for asthmatic patients anymore? I had doubts that counterfeit inhalers could be in some pharmacies right now, but some people in the crowd said it’s possible! I don’t know much about this.

My first close experience was when I was in 300 level, and a student in the next room, an asthmatic patient, was rushed out by her friends to UNIMED. Only God knows how that girl survived that night.

This post might not get anywhere, but if you see this and know how to campaign against the sale of counterfeit inhalers in pharmaceuticals, please act. If you have the heart to be kind, please don’t stop.

#baloguntheminstrel

#kehindebalogun

#marlow

#health

BalogunWrites:
On the afternoon of July 19, 2024, I was at the forefront of raising funds for an asthmatic patient, strongly supported by the market women at the Isinkan wood market, Akure. When I saw the man walking towards me, holding his chest and bending over, I crossed to the other side, though I was concerned. I hesitated when he kept beckoning to me.

When he waved something in his right hand and two women from the market walked briskly toward him, I crossed back to him and saw his inhaler beside him. He took out his buttoned phone and pointed at me, begging me to buy it, saying he needed the money to get to the hospital immediately or get another inhaler. The one with him hasn’t been working properly for him, and he said it’s a counterfeit.

I was dumbfounded and numb for a while. Then, one of the women asked him how much the inhaler cost. He said ₦9,500. "Ah! Nibo la ti fe ri bayii??" one woman asked sadly from behind, with her hands on her head.

Passersby started to gather gradually. One of the market women swiftly suggested that we could gather the money if everyone contributed a little. "That's true, but will people give?" I asked one of the women. Without thinking, I brought out everything I had with me—four two-hundred naira notes. I raised the notes, and the woman who suggested it burst out speaking Yoruba to persuade the crowd and passersby, while I spoke in English to persuade those who couldn't understand Yoruba.

People dropped their notes—₦100, ₦200, ₦500. Luckily, a man came around, asked what had happened, and dropped many ₦200 notes from his purse. The man even brought a half-bottle of water from his car when the patient brought out some pills. We gathered more than ₦9,500. I handed the money to the man and sauntered out of the crowd in search of a free motorcyclist. The man was helped onto the motorcycle and instructed to take him to the hospital.

The market women appreciated me, and I respectfully bent to thank the women, especially the man who contributed a lot. They didn’t know my mind was clouded with thoughts about the sale of counterfeit inhalers.

Two things made me more emotional: the sale of counterfeit inhalers and how people showed kindness today. I doubted it when one of the market women suggested fundraising for the man. Obviously, some didn’t contribute anything, but they showed they cared, and nobody brought out phones to make videos or take photographs.

I mean... are inhalers not for asthmatic patients anymore? I had doubts that counterfeit inhalers could be in some pharmacies right now, but some people in the crowd said it’s possible! I don’t know much about this.

My first close experience was when I was in 300 level, and a student in the next room, an asthmatic patient, was rushed out by her friends to UNIMED. Only God knows how that girl survived that night.

This post might not get anywhere, but if you see this and know how to campaign against the sale of counterfeit inhalers in pharmaceuticals, please act. If you have the heart to be kind, please don’t stop.

#baloguntheminstrel

#kehindebalogun

#marlow

#health

Thank You for your good motives.

Unfortunately this is a common scam.

The money should have been taken to.purchase an inhaler from a health centre