Nigeria Health & Lifstyle




How to Manage Cost of Medicare
By Atser Godwin

Although a popular saying has it that ‘health is wealth,’ only a few people in Nigeria actually pay attention to their health.

According to the United Nations Children Educational Fund, life expectancy in Nigeria in 2005 was 44 years, a situation that is raising concern over the health status of the people. 


Nigeria and in fact Africa today is being ravaged by diseases such as malaria, Human Immune Virus and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, tuberculosis among others. To avoid snowballing debt, people often choose to forgo regular medical check-ups altogether. 

But this may end up costing more down the road, warns health-care consultant, Dr. Ifelola Olufemi, of The Vine Medical Hospital, in Ipaja, Lagos.

He says preventive care is essential to diagnosing and treating illnesses before they require costly medical interventions. 



Whether you are uninsured or simply trying to economise, it is important to maintain a healthy diet, says Olufemi.

“For so many people, unhealthy diets, along with unhealthy habit, result in unnecessary illnesses and increase health costs. It is imperative that you watch your diet and it is advisable to add appropriate vitamins to supplement your nutritional needs,” he says. 

He counsels that people should undergo medical check-ups and screenings regularly.

“Have regularly scheduled physical examinations by your doctor, dentist, eye doctor and so on. In addition, if your company offers free medical screenings, flu shots or other benefits, take advantage of them,” he says. 

For those who have no insurance cover, Olufemi says they should begin to set aside a percentage of their salary on a monthly basis for health.

“I suggest that people that are not covered by health insurance should have a monthly savings for their health and that of their family members,” he says.

According to him, “By so doing, you are not caught pants down when you have health crisis."

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