Nigerians in Trouble as Drugs’ Prices, Hospital Costs Skyrocket

The cost of healthcare has skyrocketed due to the current economic crisis in the country, according to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek findings.

Hospital owners, doctors, pharmacists and patients have blamed the increase on the ongoing recession.

A doctor who did not want to be named said that the cost of treating Malaria for instance has risen by more than 200 per cent.

“Before now, if you come in for Malaria treatment, the average you pay is just N3, 000 but am afraid that with N10, 000, we can’t even treat you because the prices of drugs have risen” the doctor said.

The doctor also stated that as the prices of drugs soar, the cost of running the hospital are also increasing. “This is absolute bedlam”

Nodding in agreement, pharmacists said that prices of drugs produced in the country have continued to rise due to the foreign exchange crisis.

Also, most of imported drugs are either out of stock or out of reach of patients.

Alex Nwangwu, a pharmacist, said that “it is a very bad one, drugs for treating cancer-related diseases have increased because of the falling naira to dollar exchange. You know most of the drugs are imported”