Drug Abuse, Responsible Self Medication, Rights of Patients: Markudi Homecoming Calls For Action

By Prosper Okoye

Societal awakening call on Drugs and Substance abuse _an increasing global monster destroying the world’s young population; Responsible self medication and Rights of patients. Were addressed at the 2021 Makurdi Home Coming seminar, so as to chart a way forward for a systematic, improved and informed health policy making and informed citizenry, in other to achieve a more resilient, equitable and Sustainable national health.

Making the first call, was the Deputy Director, Federal Medical Center Makurdi, Pharmacist Basil Anweh, asserting that Nigeria has taken legal steps to curb the surge of these problems, but the citizens must be aware and appreciate the problems, so as to “tackle them from the grass root.”

Apart from emerging forms of substance abuses(sniffing of soakaway pit, solvents and solutions); psychotropic drugs, such as Cannabis, Opioids, Codine, Morphine, sedative and tranquilizers -tobacco and alcohol are the most abused drugs by users, in a quest to derive pleasurable effect in their brains. Such drugs can cross the blood brain barrier and change the functions of the neuro-transmitter.

“Consistent usage without legal and medical guidelines is what causes the person to be compulsively addicted to it.” Pharm. Basil instructs while making a paper presentation.

He went on further, noting that addictions inevitably bring about dire health consequences. Such as the dependency on Drugs, physical and mental retardation.

It also has devastating Social consequences such as rape, unwanted pregnancy, domestic violence, work place indiscipline and poor family life.

Its psychological consequences include: brain damage, low self esteem, depression which often leads to sucide.

Hinging on the statistics provided by the United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime, the consultant pharmacist noted, that the highest drug abusers are the political elite from the South Eastern states in Nigeria. “14.4 million Nigerians between the age of 25 to 39 abuse drugs.  One in every four user is a woman. Benue state has a prevalence rate of 8% indicating that 236,000 persons use illicit drugs and substance in the state,” he said affirming that the statistics are not politically motivated.

He issued a set of recommendations to curb the upsurge of drug abuse. “The country has got legislation around this _ the National Drug law enforcement agency act No.48 of 1989 as amended, established the NDLEA. Act No.15 1993 also established the National Agency for food and Drugs Administration and Control.

The money Laundering and prohibition Act and the Dangerous Drug Act of 1935 are good examples of such legislations made.

These bodies created by the legistion are charged with the responsibilities of preventing illicit cultivation and harmful consumption of drugs. “But  these agencies are limited in number and geographical scope of operation.”

Therefore we must take responsibility as citizens to provide  the agencies with information. “Say something when you see something wrong going on around your neighborhood,” he said.

Although there are limited drug addiction treatment centers in the country, there are few available ones that render treatment to patients, the onus now lie on the larger society to seek for information on there whereabouts.

The deputy director also noted that  patients have equal fundamental moral  and legal entitlement to be given information about their diagnosis, prescription and duration of wellness.

Also to get satisfaction at the end of every hospital visit.

He also enjoined patients to engage only in informed and guided self medication.”In other to achieve a healthy state, we can engage in self-care. Self care is the ability to maintain and improve individual health, prevent or treat diagnosed illness and address self treatable condition; it is not necessarily done in isolation.”

He further called on medical practitioners to improve service delivery, and treat patients with utmost respect taking cognizance of gender, ethnicity, religion and other sentiments.

When not satisfied with the conduct of medical practitioners, he advised aggrieved patients “you must learn to seek redress from the internal redress mechanism in a hospital, or contact the various professional bodies involved in the regulation of the health practice involved.”

Buttressing on the national Socio-economic impact of drug abuse based on the UNODC data presented by Pharm. Basil, the discussant, Joseph Gbagyo, Esq highlighted that: “we have a country of over 160 million Nigerians, where more than half of this population are youths, which are the predominant category of drug abusers. I think everyone, civil society groups, medical health experts, and academicians should begin to do more advocacy and begin to raise more awareness.”

Psychologist and  second discussant, Victoria E. Daaor PhD. Indicted the upsurge of drug abuse amongst youths on the poor emotional and psychological upbringing of children in our contemporary society. “25 percent of the women population in Makurdi abuses drugs, and this has a negative implication on the house hold,” she stated.

Picking on some points earlier raised by the paper presenter, the 3rd discussant, Cleopatra Atsor, Esq said that, total abolision of the drugs that are frequently abused is not entirely advisable, as some genuinely sick demography, who are given such prescriptions and are willing to follow as given, find it difficult to access these drugs.

She also noted that the Lagos State Government has made a legal provision, where the parental consent of blood transfusion to a child is not needed, as far as such transfusion will save the life the child.

She called on the Benue state government to create similar legislations.

Markudi Home Coming is an end of the year reunion ceremony of a cross section of Nigerians who were born and bred in Makurdi town in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s.

At the seminar paper presentation which took place on the 30th of December, at the Steam Lounge Makurdi, the seminar coordinator, Prof. Patrick Iorwuese Ukase said that the didactic session was organized as an attempt to rebuilding the society.

The Seminar Convener, Simon Iwar, appreciated those that came for the event, adding that such academic discourse are no longer given importance in the society. And this negligence has  given rise to socio-cultural decadence in our nation. He promised that next year home coming will treat yet another important societal theme.

During the seminar, participants were also given opportunity to get clarification on the paper presented.