Shubham Chaudhuri
When the world was desperate for a COVID-19 vaccine, one breakthrough came from a collaboration between the American pharmaceutical company Pfizer and the German firm BioNTech. Their vaccine proved to be 94.5 percent effective in preventing the impacts of COVID-19.
One of the key figures involved in the development of the vaccine was Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu of Yale University, a Nigerian national who had completed his medical training from University of Calabar in Nigeria and had interned at the Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital, before moving to New York to work at the globally renowned Mount Sinai School of Medicine. “Nigerians contribute to the world in so many ways. Our hats off to Dr. Onyema Ogbuagu at Yale who helped develop a Covid-19 vaccine,” read a statement from the US Embassy in Nigeria.
‘COVID-19 ’ll end medical tourism in Nigeria’
Friday Olokor, Abuja
A former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Imo State, Chukwuma-Machukwu Ume (SAN) has expressed optimism that the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world will end medical tourism by Nigerian elites.
Ume expressed this view in a statement on Sunday while reacting to the ongoing building of the ultra-modern Ebonyi State University Teaching Hospital in the Uburu community area of the state.
According to him, the rampaging pandemic will compel the political leadership of Nigeria to build world-class medical facilities that will cater for the health needs of the people.
While lauding the Ebonyi State governor, Dave Umahi, for his giant strides in improving the welfare of his people, Ume said the teaching hospital, upon completion, would be the best in Africa.
(File photo: Reuters)
In the midst of desperate international efforts to find a permanent solution to the debilitating Coronavirus pandemic, Nigeria and Nigerians have a cause to massage their ego as contributing somewhat to the search. Two Nigerian nationals – medical doctors – are in the news for their activism in scientific growth, part of which is directly related to the making of a COVID-19 vaccine presently thrilling the world.
But there is a gloomy side to the story, manifested in the absence of an enabling and conducive environment for Nigerians to shine more in solving world medical and scientific problems; and that the few Nigerians in the limelight now are there courtesy of facilities provided by other countries to which they migrated in pursuit of professional and career fulfilment.