After Mama Tobi died at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, due to slow response by FAAN, (https://kubwaexpress.com/2022/04/20/death-in-abuja-airport-always-check-your-bp/) FAAN made a video of their clinic and mischievously someone tagged me.
I laughed. The truth was, as at the time Mama Tobi was gasping for breath, there was no FAAN medical team on ground, the flight announcer, didn’t make any call for medical personnel to come that there was an emergency. So I laughed at that poor attempt to cover face by FAAN.
Today, I am back to the airport. I am seated at the departure lounge. I have walked the length and width of it, there is no first aid box hung anywhere. If you’re using Arik or Max Air, you will have to climb equivalent of 4 floor before you get to the departure lounge. I hate to image what will happen to any passenger with k-legged health condition.
Apart from the absence of first aid box, the cleaners I saw, couldn’t point me to where the airport’s clinic is located. Further inquiries led me to the New International wing under construction and a pharmacy at terminal C. Hmmm!! The location is some distance and not central where any passenger in need can easily access it. And the FAAN Clinic video making the rounds, does not look anything close to what I saw here. Could it be that is FAAN Clinic in Lagos or another airport?
I am tempted to stimulate collapse/faint, to see if they have learnt anything from the preventable death of Mama Tobi.
Another thing that keeps tugging at my 3rd leg, is the stripping of passengers. Agreed terrorists are smart, thinking of ways to beat the system but we must be wiser. According to a Russian proverb, “a hunter must be wiser than the prey.” We should develop technology that can scan passengers without this rude, “remove your shoe, belt, wallet, phone” command shouted out by FAAN staff.
Finally, what use is face mask in an air port?
