Normally when I write I like to put myself in people's shoes and write from both directions. I love to be considerate of feeling of my readers and others but for this post I'm just going to put it all out there like it is, no sugar coating because it's becoming an epidemic.
So someone starts noticing he/she has headaches and they go to the chemist and purchase panadol or paracetamol. They finish the whole sachet in two days and the headache is still there persistently banging. What do they do? They go back to the chemist and buy ibuprofen and swallow three tablets at a time and finish the pack in one day. The headache still doesn't leave or subside. The next thing they start doing is looking for local roots and herbs to cure the headache. They ask friends, family members, Google Search all to look for a traditional cure for the headache. Then when the local prescriptions still doesn't work they go to social media and start begging people online for advice, saying that they've had constant headache for days and nothing is helping out. The next thing the comments roll in, one fool will then tell him to drink spirit then use it to wash his face. When Mr/mrs please give me advice sees that majority of the answers they get are total hogwash, he gives up and goes to church. His pastors tells him it's the witches in his family trying to grind his brain and starts fire praying for him. That's were they will remain until the idiot collapses. Immediately he collapses is when everybody notices that he should be rushed to the hospital, and they rush him there. On getting there it either goes two way. If he's fortunate they give him some drugs after diagnosis and like a miracle the headache he's been struggling with for over a week goes down and he can rest. Or if he is unfortunate on getting to the hospital he is declared DOA (dead on arrival) or the doctors inform his friends and family that there is nothing they can do to help him because he delayed in coming in for diagnosis and proper treatment. Another life lost out of carelessness!
This is the situation typically in Nigeria. It's painful and shameful to see Nigerians blame ignorance for the lack of sense to rush a sick person to a Medical Center. They would stand for hours and argue about the ills in the health sector when they've never been inside a hospital before. Most just choose to be dumb about health issues and do nothing about it. The one wen dey pain me pass na say dem go still dey justify their ignorance.
Lives are lost daily because the pastors have decided to add the work of the medical officers to their spiritual one. Instead of them to advice their members on the importance of going for medical help immediately they feel discomfort. Why must they heap all the blame on witches? It's not hidden or strange that those with one issue or the other especially serious issues like cancer, liver and kidney problems, HIV/AIDS patients prefer to run to churches than to the the medical centers which should have been their major focus. It's in Nigeria you will see pastors advertise that they have cured these illnesses and produce some sketchy testimonials from people who claim to have received the healings. Then you see the crowd of patients that should be in the hospitals trooping to the church and paying lots of offerings and tithes. Most will even check out of the hospital and admit theirselves to the church for healing.
The herbalists are not even making the issues any better. You will just be somewhere and the next thing one bus will just pack, bring out speakers and the next thing they will start advertising one cream or drug. That one cream or drug alone will cure diabetics, AIDS, pimples, dark spots, ezema, tuberculosis, weight loss, breast enlargement, headache, malaria, typhoid and any other ailment they can think about. The funniest part is you see Nigerians rushing to buy it. At the end of the day if you notice what they bought you will discovered it was just red mud packaged, then you weep for the lives that would be lost by the population that just bought it. Have you not seen something like this happening?
Social media! This one is the bane of the problem. I personally suggest that they should ban all these medical advice and sales of fake drugs through this platform. In fact I think I've said enough.
My advice is that when you have a medical issue quickly rush to the hospital. Don't sit in your house and be saying its too expensive. There are health centers, clinics and general/center hospitals. Go there first! Insist on getting a diagnosis (tests) before treatment. Your life is far more expensive than the treatment. Dont be stingy or tight handed when it comes to health situations. Help yourself so that others can help you. At least if everybody starts making use of the medical centers then the appropriate channels will work on stabilizing the price.
I have said my piece, those with eyes should read and those with brains should think!!!
BOSSETHEHI
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