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Many residents of Benin City, the capital of Edo State, are abandoning prescribed medications and turning to native remedies, due to the rising cost of pharmaceuticals across Nigeria.
The residents, in interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), expressed frustration over the high cost of medicines, adding that the worsening economic conditions have hindered access to adequate healthcare and medical treatment nationwide.
Medical charges, including consultation and laboratory fees, have increased sharply, making healthcare unaffordable for many low-income earners.
Rose Imadiyi, a Benin City resident, was on the verge of tears while narrating how financial difficulties prevented her from purchasing prescribed medications after recently falling ill.
Imadiyi said the prescribed medications cost about N7,000, but she had only N4,000 available for feeding and healthcare.
“I chose my children over drugs because they still need to eat. I could not spend all the money on medication and leave nothing for food,” Imadiyi
Her experience reveals how rising healthcare costs have forced many struggling families to make painful decisions between treatment and feeding.
According to a pharmacist, Nkem Daniella Ogbidi-Emmanuel, the rising cost of pharmaceuticals is due to worsening economic conditions. Ogbidi-Emmanuel said many patients now prioritise feeding above healthcare because they lack the resources required to meet rising medical expenses.
“A lot of people do not have the wherewithal to cater for their health needs because of the economic situation of the country today. Many of them believe that if they can eat well, they can manage their illnesses,” she said, adding that some people now regard proper medical care as a luxury because of rising healthcare expenses,” she said.
“Some even see proper medical care as a luxury because apart from drugs, they have to pay consultation fees and laboratory investigations.”
She added that some patients now request medications without undergoing proper medical tests in an effort to reduce treatment costs, warning that such practices remained dangerous and could worsen underlying health conditions significantly.
“Some patients will say, ‘Doctor, just give me medicine,’ because they cannot afford tests for malaria, typhoid or other infections,” she added.
“Even when medications are prescribed, many cannot afford to buy the complete dosage because drugs are not subsidised in Nigeria,” Ogbidi-Emmanuel said while calling for improved healthcare support systems and government intervention nationwide.
Juliet Egbede, a midwife, told NAN that many Nigerians now prefer to “eat to live before treating illness” because increasing financial hardship has made healthcare inaccessible for struggling households.
The midwife explained that some patients now resort to incomplete dosages or rely heavily on painkillers to manage symptoms temporarily because financial difficulties prevent them from accessing proper medical treatment and prescribed medications regularly nationwide.
She warned that such unhealthy practices could worsen medical conditions, especially among vulnerable persons, emphasising the importance of adhering strictly to prescribed treatments despite prevailing economic hardship and rising healthcare costs across Nigeria.
Ola Rasheed, another resident, said he has stopped visiting hospitals and pharmacies regularly because rising drug prices and medical expenses have made healthcare services increasingly difficult for ordinary Nigerians nationwide to afford, adding that he has turned to local remedies.
“I bought agbo (local herbal concoction) because it is cheaper. I hardly go to pharmacies or hospitals again because the drugs are too expensive,” Rasheed said while describing his healthcare challenges in Benin City.
Messy Omokhua, another resident, said whenever she can not afford prescribed medications, she opts for cheaper brands or reduced quantities, hoping to recover quickly despite not completing the recommended treatment dosage for illnesses.
“Sometimes I buy cheaper alternatives or reduce the quantity and hope to get better quickly,” said Omokhua.
