WHY DO NIGERIANS DO NOT GO TO HOSPITAL EARLY?

just wish to use this medium to advise Nigerians about an issue that is becoming a matter of concern. This piece is a product of observation. Having spent some years in the hospital as a doctor-in-making, I have observed with dismay the attitude of most Nigerians towards their health. It is nothing to write home about. I will be bringing to the fore, some of those observation to educate the ignorant, conscientize the nonchalant, and if possible demystify some ideologies.

Why Do most Nigerians Don’t Go hospital early?

This is a matter of concern. Most persons go to hospital only when the disease is out of hand. This is not a healthy practise. Everything is not malaria. In Nigeria today, once someone has fever, the next thing to do is to treat malaria. Yes, inasmuch as we are in a malaria-dense zone, fever is not synonymous with malaria. There are a thousand and one ailments that can present with malaria. Most persons will graduate to antibiotics if the antimalarial drug didn’t work.

This is drug abuse, and it does not do you good.

Why should I stop Buying drugs on my own?

You should stop buying drugs on your own because when you don’t know what it takes to do so. I met a 3year old boy last month who is likely to remain deaf for the rest of his life simply because of the mother’s insensitivity. The boy had an ear infection when he was 2months old, and the mother was visiting one pharmacy shop after another for three good years. And when they realised he no longer hears well, they remembered the hospital. That’s too bad.

Another is a boy who was having frequent erection ,not related to sexual stimulation ,and not relieved by ejaculation. This happened for almost three years, and they never visited the hospital, only herbal medications. And now, only God can salvage that penis from the impending erectile dysfunction. It is very sad. How did we develop this kind of mentality?

I can go on and on, there are a lot of pitiable cases out there, both reported and unreported ones – no thanks to ignorance, indifference, and may be poverty.

What are the consequences of Buying drugs on my own?

The consequences are obvious:

1. You may worsen your condition to a state that is beyond the assistance of the doctor when you finally present to the hospital. In the example I gave above, imagine if the boy with frequent erections had gone to the hospital three years earlier. What he had was priapism, and it is very treatable at least within the first 72 hours. Imagine if the mother of the boy that had ear infection at 2 months had done the right thing, the boy would not have been in such a despicable situation. He that has ear, let him hear what the spirit says unto the churches.

2. You are indirectly increasing the length of hospital stay.

3. You are decreasing the quality of life you suppose to have after your ailment.

4. You are increasing the hospital bill.

What Pushes People to Buying Drugs on their own?

The only reasons I could think out is ignorance and poverty.

Most people do not have a good orientation about their health, hence they take things for granted. Others will first calculate: instead of using 2000 naira to pay for consultation fee, they use it and head straight to the pharmacy or patent medicine dealer. And when things get out of control, they finally pay the consultation fee, and apart from that, they increase the length of hospital stay, decrease their quality of life, and increase their bills.

Please hear this today, buying drugs on your own is never advantageous in whatever form. Please, stop!

So what is the way forward?

No matter how mild the headache is, no matter how common the fever appears, please approach a doctor. The doctor will take your history and examine you , and then treat you. On rare occasions, when he is not too certain, he will request the appropriate lab tests for you.

I will illustrate: Assuming someone defecates close to your window, and your room starts smelling. You can easily spray air fresher, and the smell will stop. But has the problem been solved? No. The air fresher will soon diffuse out, and the smells will be back. Now, no matter the amount of air fresher you spray, it will never solve the problem, you are simply postponing the doomsday. But if you consult someone who is an expert in odours, he will identify the odour, and will know that there is a heap if faeces over your window. And by removing the faeces, the problem (that has been consuming your money on air fresher) has been permanently solved.

If you are having fever of headache , it is not enough to buy paracetamol, or antimalarial or antibiotics to quieten the fever or the headache. By doing so, you have simply used air fresher to cover up the odour. Fever or headache is not a disease, they are symptoms or signs of an underlying disease. You don’t treat fever or headache, you should treat what is causing the fever/ headache and they will effortlessly disappear.

I really do wish that someone after reading this will change. Believe me, it will do you more good than the perceived harm.
A word is enough for the wise.
Happy Sunday


~MensesDocor

https://mensesdoctor.com.ng/2018/09/15/why-nigerians-must-start-going-to-hospital/

If you have any experience on how persons have paid dearly for not going to hospital early , kindly share. Let us educate the ignorant and conscientize the complacent.

Not that Nigerians do not like receiving treatment in our Hospitals, But the Fear of Cost is the Beginning of wisdom....

The average Nigerian would prefer to buy herbal medicines or go to the chemist and buy Drugs than going to the Hospital..

Righteousness89:
Not that Nigerian ma do not like receiving treatment in our Hospitals, But the Fear of Cost is the Beginning of wisdom....

The average Nigerian would prefer to buy herbal medicines or go to the chemist and buy Drugs than going to the Hospital..

Yes, very true. But do you know the bitter truth? They will eventually land in the hospital when the situation can no longer be salvaged. That's so pitiable!

I almost shed tears last due to a peculiar case.

Because most of the people you call health expert in Nigeria are confused.


I have gone to almost 3 hospital to do some test like full blood count, thyroid gland test, and others, but they were all asking why I needed those test when I'm not sick that if I please they will direct me where to do it, up till now I have not done it because I'm confused.

hisgrace090:
Because most of the people you call health expert in Nigeria are confused.

Hmmm...That's not true sir/madam. If you are not comfortable with your family doc, you make a change.

Hospitals are simply extortion centres. The greed of doctors no be here.

MensesDr:


Yes, very true. But do you know the bitter truth? They will eventually land in the hospital when the situation can no longer be salvaged. That's so pitiable!

I almost shed tears last due to a peculiar case.

I think the Solution should come from the government, the Nigerian Medical Association and The Citizens...

Everyone has a part to play..

A citizen would Likely fill up his bowels with food first before thinking of Hospital....
Affordable healthcare should be Encouraged

Orientations as this would also go a long way...

Righteousness89:
I think the Solution should come from the government, the Nigerian Medical Association and The Citizens...

Everyone has a part to play..

A citizen would Likely fill up his bowels with food first before thinking of Hospital....
Affordable healthcare should be Encouraged

Orientations as this would also go a long way...

Thank you sir, you concluded well...The govt most importantly need to do more.

In fact, let me tell Nigerians one secret. If you do not have money to go hospital. Do not just die in silence. Just go to the hospital, especially the govt owned ones, I tell you help must come from Zion. I assure you , that there is no way you will be left to die in a govt hospital simply because you are financially handicapped. It never happens. I have seen doctors pay for patient's lab results, just to make sure that the patient doesn't die in his/her care. I have seen countless times how rich persons enter the hospital and pay the bills of everyone in the ward. All these things happen in daily basis.

Don't just sit and die in your house because you don't have money. That's baseless!

Stand up, wear your clothes, money or no money go to the govt owned hospital, you shall never walk alone. I assure you that.

IbrahimDamola:
Hospitals are simply extortion centres. The greed of doctors no be here.

There are good private-owned ones. There are church-owned ones. There are govt-owned ones.
Make an informed choice.

I assure you, not going at all is far more expensive than the supposed "extortion".

MensesDr:

There are good private-owned ones. There are church-owned ones. There are govt-owned ones.
Make an informed choice.

I assure you, not going at all is far more expensive than the supposed "extortion".

You guys are hawks, you only enjoy admitting treating headaches, malaria and typhoid but an accident emergency comes, you'll ask for a king's ransome so you can avoid the case and then transfer to another hospital and the patient dies enroute

Very soon MEDICAL DOCTORS will leave NIGERIA for NATIVE doctors and churches to manage

EVILFOREST:
Very soon MEDICAL DOCTORS will leave NIGERIA for NATIVE doctors and churches to manage

that is already happening

It is not up to three days I was lecturing Nigerians about self medication, now someone has proven its consequences in this thread:
https://www.nairaland.com/4739362/see-what-self-medication-did


Please read this thread people of God. A wise man is he that Kearns from the mistake of others

Dominique seun mynd44 kindly move this thread to FP to educate people concerning this thread;
https://www.nairaland.com/4739362/see-what-self-medication-did