Of recent, hospitals and government officials have attributed spike in medical complications among patients and in some instances death to the decision of those with underlying ailments going for self -medication at home instead seeking professional intervention.
Shocking experiences
Findings by our reporters revealed that many Nigerians are resorting to self - medication because of fear of contracting COVID-19 from health workers and hospital environments, and because of the skeletal services being offered by some hospitals since the outbreak.
In Sokoto, a resident Aisha Aliyu said that before the COVID-19 index case in the state, people were visiting hospitals without apprehension but became wary with increasing cases and deaths.
A physician at the Abubakar Tafawa Teaching Hospital (ATBU-TH) who doesn't want to be named, said self -medication at any time or period is not a good practice because it increases complications and is one of the causes of untimely death including the mysterious deaths being experience in some parts of Bauchi State.
A 50 -year-old resident of Bauchi metropolis, Umar Yusuf, who suffered from protracted sinusitis and cough for over 10 years said that he has continued to use his drugs without going to the hospital for fear of COVID-19.
