Date: 2016-12-04

The University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) has expressed worry that patients have resorted to self-medication due to biting economic condition in the country.

Prof. Abdulwaheed Olatinwo, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital, stated this on Saturday at the 2016 SERVICOM customers/stakeholders' interactive forum held at Ilorin. He observed that the health care needs of many residents within and outside the state capital, Ilorin have been badly affected.

Olatinwo, who was represented by the Chief, Medical Advisory Committee, Prof. Mikail Buhari, lamented the severe toll the economic recession has had on the financial capacity of many household. He said that some people could no longer properly take care of their health needs.

He narrated the experiences witnessed at the UITH which he described as a "worrying trend" in which the hospital often become helpless to handle cases of patients who resort to self medication.

"Some people have even resorted to unhygienic herbal usage or other cheaper alternatives on account of inability to pay the hospital bills."

Olatinwo regretted that the patients often visit the hospital when they are already in a very bad state. He observed that what often follows this are long and costly hospital stays with accumulation of huge bills which they cannot afford.

"We are seeing people walking into our facility without a Kobo in their pockets. "Even term pregnancies, with all the time in the world to plan for it, are brought here with no means of paying for service," he said. He added that the hospital had to adjust the cost of some of the services to reflect the new reality.

Olatinwo said that the hospital still shoulders a substantial fraction of the burden by providing affordable healthcare to the people. The CMD, therefore, stressed the determination of the management to continue its efforts on total quality care that guarantees patient, staff and students satisfaction.