No one even looks forward to falling sick, let alone having to visit a hospital. Being in a hospital can bring up emotions ranging from mild fear to full blown anxiety. The sterile smell, the uncomfortable beds, and the anxiety of waiting- it’s hardly a pleasant experience.
You can relate, right? So can a lot of others.
We asked 5 Nigerians about their worst hospital experience:
Bisola, 26
My worst hospital experience happened in 2023. I thought I had contracted an STD and I made the mistake of looking up symptoms online. I went to the hospital to confirm what I felt I already knew. The minute I entered the doctor’s office, I skipped all the pleasantries and declared to him that I had gotten gonorrhea. He asked if I’d done a test or seen another doctor. I said I hadn’t and that I just knew. He smiled. I thought he was judging me, so I started to cry.
When I eventually calmed down, we talked. He was surprisingly very understanding. He assured me that there was no reason to panic and advised that I do some tests. I came back a couple of days later for my results. In the doctor’s office, he told me that I had a yeast infection and that he would prescribe a pill to treat it. I’ve never felt so stupid in my life. Never look up your symptoms please.
Tochukwu, 31
When I was getting married, my wife made me do a genotype test. I already knew my genotype but she was adamant about taking the test again before our wedding. To please her, I agreed. I’d been tested multiple times and I was AA every single time.
So you can imagine my shock when the envelope that was handed to me in the hospital declared that I was AS. I was short of words.
It meant a huge chink in my wedding plans because my wife’s genotype was AS. It also meant my parents had a lot of explaining to do. They were both AA, so whose child was I?
I stared at the ground for what seemed like hours. Then I looked at the paper again. That was when I saw it. What I thought was my newly assigned genotype was the lab technician’s signature! My genotype was printed in bold, black ink and I’d missed it. AA. I regained composure immediately.
Since that day, hospitals have constantly brought up anxiety for me. I know the mistake of that day was mine, but I can’t help it. That was by far my worst hospital experience.
Wande, 21
My worst hospital experience was the first time I went as an adult. I was rushed to the hospital in the middle of the night for abusing medication. Before you judge me, let me explain. I had been feeling sick for days and instead of just going to a doctor, I started using antibiotics.
I didn’t know what the recommended dosage was or if I was even supposed to take them. All I knew was that my exams were around the corner and I wasn’t about to waste precious study time at the hospital. I just got antibiotics from a nearby chemist shop and went to town!
My roommate said he found me on the floor of our room looking like I was possessed. I had a seizure from overdosing.
You know what’s funny? I ended up missing one of my exams because I was in the hospital.
Don’t abuse drugs, guys. It’s not cool.
Hauwa, 29
I don’t hate hospitals oh, but the last thing that took me there, may I never see it again. It’s not like I did anything extraordinary. I just took painkillers. Shikena.
Next thing I knew, my face was swollen. I looked like I’d been caught stealing in the market. My eyes were barely visible because of the swelling, and my cheeks looked like I had attempted to swallow a football and failed.
Later in the hospital, I found out that I was allergic to the painkillers I took. The doctors treated me and the swelling began to reduce. I recovered completely, but anytime I hear “hospital”, I find myself in that moment again, panicking and thinking I’m going blind.
Now I am a simple woman. I see medication that wasn’t prescribed for me, I run!
Tamara, 57
I’m getting older so I go to the hospital for a lot of things. The one time I didn’t, I decided to take my nephew’s advice. This is more of a hospital experience that didn’t happen.
I was tired of medical bills and it’s not like my nephew is completely unqualified; he’s just not quite there yet.
Preye is in his first year of medical school. He has always been a bright boy. He used to get double promotions in primary school, so I thought maybe he had advanced knowledge in medicine too. You know how all these computer age children are.
Let’s just say that by the time I finally got the good sense to abandon Preye’s advice and go to the hospital, it was almost too late. Preye and his prescriptions had made me live with a throat infection for way too long.
That boy is no longer invited to my house for Christmas until he finishes that his medical school, and I’ve reported him to his mother. It’s not all his fault though. I was the one who started taking advice from someone whose diapers I changed. Never again.
Conclusion
Your health is too precious to take risks on. Financial capacity shouldn’t be the determinant for whether or not you can access medical care when you need it. Start planning now. Get a health insurance plan right now to protect your health and pocket on bad days.
Looking for more insight on health insurance in Nigeria? Check out this article on getting health insurance online for your small business
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