Years ago while working in the accident and emergency Unit of busy Government hospital, an elderly woman in admission passed on, she had been sick for some time.
I was breaking the news to the daughters and advising them on the next course of action when I noticed an elderly man trying to get down from an SUV which just drove into the hospital premises.
The ladies also noticed, changed their frown to a pseudo smile and told me not to tell him. “Where is my wife?“, he asked sounding very apprehensive. Your wife is in another ward and I would not want her to be disturbed Sir, even by your daughters. She was of course in the mortuary ward.
Sir are you hypertensive? I asked, yes he said nodding his head filled with fine grey hairs. I would later check his blood pressure which was high and then prescribe drugs for him and tell him to go home. His daughters told me his Pastor and a dear friend will break the news to him.
The reality is that losing one’s relatives or beloved one is very painful. I have had patient relatives who hugged me, who literally cried their eyes out or who were very hostile when this event happened ; I have also had those who were in denial, vehemently refusing to believe their loved ones had taken a walk into eternity.
Back to the crux of the matter.
These days social media thrives on breaking news and being the first to share information; but when it has to do with the demise of someone not too close to you, or someone close to you but not your immediate family member , I think it’s wisdom to pause and wait for direct family members to share the information themselves.
Recently a dear friend lost his relative and there was me in the hospital, playing my little part when his relative was alive. He would break the news on social media days or was it weeks later. It was not my call to break the news or to send him any open condolence on social media, without him first breaking it.
These days people first hear about the death of their loved ones on social media, and many times if they pass on in an accident or had a brutal death you won’t be surprised seeing their gory pictures on social media, shared and posted by people that call themselves “fiends” and “wile wishers”
In another news
Be social media responsible, no be everything wey you suppose share. If you look commot eye, your eye no go blind.
Let’s become humans again, e be like say the human in human being has long being missing.
