Foroyaa decided to follow up one patient just to study the cost of medical treatment. The patient was sent for scanning and had to pay D7500 just for scanning. This excludes all other expenses. By the time she finished just the tests, she had paid the sum of D9300. Without the support of others, it would have been impossible for her to get any treatment. Another patient had to spend up to two thousand dalasis (D2000) just to obtain drugs to deal with his pain.
How many poor people will be able to purchase drugs? This is why many are resorting to buying drugs in the black market and thus end up buying fake drugs which is now prevalent in the market. Simply launching a campaign for people to purchase drugs in recognised pharmacies is not enough. If drugs are not affordable people will not be able to purchase them? Hence many will fall into a death trap. Claims of free and affordable medical services at our public hospitals while drugs and treatment remain expensive, amount to living a fairy tale. It is time for us to acknowledge that we have a problem and lives are being lost and pains increased because of neglect. We should be sensitive to the pain of those enduring it.
