How Ebola stalled the eye treatment of ‘Pa Kasumu’

Veteran Yoruba actor Kayode Odumosu (better known as Pa Kasumu) has revealed that the outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in Nigeria in July scuppered the plan of an Indian doctor to travel to Nigeria in order to physically assess him before deciding if he would be treated in-country or flown abroad.

Pa Kasumu has been battling a string of ailments over the past few years, from stroke, biventricular heart failure to lung and eye defects.

His condition so deteriorated last year that he lived in a one-room apartment in a crowded area of Mushin, Lagos, until Babatunde Fashola, governor of Lagos state, and Ibikunle Amosun, governor of his native Ogun state, showed interest in his case.

Since the beginning of the year, Pa Kasumu has been residing in a three-bedroom bungalow in a serene part of Ita-Elega in Abeokuta, where his recuperation is on course.

Speaking with TheCable on Tuesday, he said that although he had no regrets about life, his recovery from his eye problem would have progressed at a faster rate were it not for Ebola.

“An Indian hospital was to handle my eye, but my link with the Indian hospital – the guy’s name is Jeevan – did not want come to Nigeria due to Ebola,” he said.

“He came to Nigeria in April 2014. But because of Ebola, he could not come afterwards. He was supposed to come here, examine me, and then decide if he would take me to India or if he would treat me here.”

Pa Kasumu also spoke briefly on why in his deepest moments of sorrow, he did not make efforts to personally reach out to friends and associations in the Nigerian movie industry.

“I am just somebody that if I have any problem, I discuss it with my family and my almighty father,” he said, although acknowledging that friends who found out about his plight offered help anyway.

Identifying the Ogun state governor as his biggest benefactor, he said: “Amosun sent his SSG, minister of Culture and tourism and some other state officials to me in Lagos. They gave me a cheque of N2million. When I relocated to Abeokuta and I went to his office, he gave me additional N2 million cash. I have to thank him.”

His eye condition, he adds, is improving.

“My eyesight is improving. The doctor wants me to take my drugs regularly and avoid the things he told me to.

“I am hoping that everything I wanted to do in India, I will still be able to do here in Nigeria.”