Accessing lifesaving medication

Patients and health workers say the cost of lifesaving medications is a major challenge to access to medicines, which encompasses the constant availability and affordability of essential medicines.

MR Kazeem Shittu was diagnosed with a prostate enlargement that makes urination a bit difficult. His doctor recommended some medications to help ease the voiding of urine. But his challenge a few months back was the scarcity of the medications.

“I tried buying the medication from a big pharmacy shop, but it was out of stock. The pharmacist said I should buy another brand of the medication. But days later, it turned out to be not as effective as the original brand I was given at the hospital,” Mr Shittu recounted.

On his part, Oladipo Adeoluwa was diagnosed with stomach ulcer at the State Hospital, Akure, Ondo State, after complaining of excruciating pains in his stomach lasting for over a month. Unfortunately, the drugs his doctors prescribed for him triggered more pain.

“I went back to the hospital and I was asked to undergo an endoscopy test. The test was to cost N68, 000 but I’ve not been able to run the test because I don’t have the money. Business is not buoyant. I can’t afford the drugs they say I should be taking. One finished last week, another finished yesterday, and they all cost over N8, 000, but it’s hard to get money to buy the drugs.”

Meanwhile, the high healthcare costs are causing many of the patients to get sicker from delaying, avoiding or stopping medical treatment. Mrs Deji Olaopa, 65, has lived five years of her life treating Type 2 diabetes. Like everyone with type 2 diabetes, his life is ruled by the clock – with meals, blood tests, insulin injections and the rest – all on a strict regime dictated by diabetes. However, adhering to the routine has been a struggle because she is a pensioner battling the skyrocketing prices of her medications.

Nigeria’s inflation rate surged to 19.64 percent in July 2022, up from 18.60 percent in the previous month. This is the highest rate recorded since September 2005, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The inflation rate is taking a toll on many Nigerians. With the skyrocketing food prices, school fees and the costs of treatments and drugs, many individuals are falling behind financially since they depend on out-of-pocket care.

 By Sade Oguntola

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