To avoid testing at hospitals, people resort to self-medication

Srinagar, Jan 20: At a time when doctors and experts claim that the third wave is extremely infectious but around 95 percent positive patients have either no symptoms or mild symptoms. People at this stage are resorting to self medication which according to doctors can prove dangerous.
Experts and doctors said that people, whoever, are having any symptoms avoid visiting hospitals at this stage as they will get tested before entering hospitals, they prefer to go to chemist shops and resort to self medication.
They said that the positivity rate currently is very high but around 90 percent of the positive patients are in home isolation and without consulting doctors most of them are resorting to self-medication.
They further added: “There are thousands of people who have flu-like symptoms in order to avoid getting tested at hospitals and prefer to go to local chemist shops and take antibiotics of their own.”
A doctor from Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag said that wherever you will call you will come to know that most people are suffering from fever, cough and other flu like symptoms but people in order to avoid testing visit to nearby chemist shops and get antibiotics without any prescription from any doctor.
“It is a dangerous trend to take antibiotics of their own and prefer self-medication,” he said.
Dr Salim Khan HOD Community medicine at GMC Srinagar told KNO that self-medication is wrong and people are unnecessarily taking antibiotics which can prove dangerous.
“Self-medication can lead to drug addiction, allergy, habituation, worsening of ailment, incorrect diagnosis and dosage, or even disability and premature death. This is the reason why people must avoid self-medication at all cost,” he said.
He added that concerned agencies must take cognizance of the issue and pharmacists and chemists must also avoid giving medicines to people without a doctor’s prescription.
Another doctor at JVC Bemina, Dr Irfan Robanni Principal said that self-medication is not a good thing and best medicine in these circumstances is to isolate yourself whenever you have symptoms and following of COVID Appropriate Behaviour (CAB) in letter and spirit.