Medical practitioners warn against self-medication

The President, Association of General and Private Medical Practitioners of Nigeria (AGPMPA), Dr. Frank Odafen has urged Nigerians to desist from self-medication or obtaining medical treatment from quacks.

He counseled them to always consult qualified and experienced medical personnel, whenever they are sick, adding that such would reduce the high rate of preventable deaths being recorded in the country.

Odafen called on government to address the problem of multiple taxation and exorbitant tax imposed on privately-owned medical facilities.

Speaking, yesterday, in Abuja, Odafen appealed to the Federal Government to make healthcare service accessible to the entire populace in line with the universal health coverage.

He lamented that 13 years after introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), most Nigerians still pay from their pockets for healthcare services, adding that this is not promoting universal health care coverage.

He said: “Eighty per cent of the patients pay from their purses, with no form of insurance. It is generally observed that majority of Nigerians cannot afford to pay for their health needs, and most times wait till they are in emergency before seeking medical aid.