If there is any place the present high cost of living has affected so badly, it is the health sector.
Even the lowest of requirements for a patient who visits the hospital, such as registration cards, which used to be free, now attract high charges, and the era of free drugs and consultations has disappeared altogether.
Economy & Lifestyle discovered that, for these major reasons and the inability to afford medication charges, the majority of Nigerians now visit social media to access prescriptions for certain illnesses.
Many go for tests, collect results and come online to seek a cure for the diagnosed ailment.
Further investigations showed that most of the social media content-based treatments are combinations of household spices, herbs, roots among others.
Various people with different brand names are seen discussing and prescribing solutions to ailments, especially for women dealing with infertility issues.
When they are lucky, some sponsors cut down the prices of the various combos by half, easing the financial burden of patients, so that they can access the remedy.
Mrs. Roseline Ogbebor, a business woman, said that accessing healthcare in public hospitals has now become so expensive, let alone private owned ones. For her, that is enough reason to use social media prescriptions.
“I apply most of the health prescriptions on social media, and they are working for me.
“All I do is go to the laboratory to do a test and get the result, post it on any health platform on social media and whatever is prescribed, I use.
“Most of the prescriptions are those we use in our homes, and herbs found in our environment.
”Getting a consultation in some private hospitals now costs so much as N20,000 and above.
”Then you pay for a card, which ranges between N5,000 to N10,000, depending on the hospital.
“Then the diagnosis and treatment proper.
”And in this economy where things are hard, where do I get such amount?
“Even in some public hospitals, you pay up to N1,500 for a card, then you are asked to pay another amount each time you want to see the doctor, or you are being referred to another specialist doctor.”
Mrs. Loveth Famakinwa, a hair stylist, said: “Do you know the cost of accessing a private health facility in Nigeria now?
”Even consultation costs a lot, especially when you are seeing a gynecologist in a fertility clinic.
“I was trying to conceive for three years.
“I don’t have money for In Vitro Fertilisation, IVF, and I was diagnosed for a blocked fallopian tube.
“I knew IVF or surgery were the options I had.
“So I took to social media to find a cure, and a particular online prescription was given to me last year and, in three months, I conceived. Imagine that.
“Nobody will want to visit on-line and risk taking prescriptions, but accessing health facilities now is very very expensive.”
When they are lucky, some sponsors cut down the prices of the various combos by half easing the financial burden of patients to easily access them.
Mrs. Ashley Kofoworola, a civil servant said: “Recently, I saw a health page where a fertility combo price was slashed due to a sponsor’s support.
“I quickly grabbed the opportunity to buy it for my brother’s wife who is suffering from fibroid.
“I pray it works because the amount for surgery is very high and my brother can’t afford it.
“So I advised her to go online and search for possible affordable natural treatment for the ailment.”
However, Mr. Matthew Adeji, a Laboratory Scientist, expressed displeasure on the development citing the high cost of medical equipment, electricity, maintenance and other expenses as cause for increased cost of accessing health facilities.
“We are all aware of the increase in cost of living which has actually found its way into all sectors of the economy.
“So there is a need to increase service costs to be able to solve the problems of patients.
”There is an increased cost of equipment, electricity, salaries, maintenance of the facility among other factors that has resulted in increased health facilities bills.
“Accessing prescriptions online based on a particular test result is not wise because some people have underlying health issues that the particular test result taken online doesn’t detect.
“Hence, a particular description can trigger such and even worsen the person’s condition.
“Also, one might be lucky to get a cure but at the same time another ailment might arise from too much consumption of these prescriptions.
“So it’s advisable to visit the hospital when you’re sick no matter what.”