Health hub

Written by Timothy Okooboh It is a common practice in most health facilities to ensure almost every patient who walks into the facility leaves with at least one health supplement. For instance, a client who comes just to buy one sachet of paracetamol could end up leaving with a supplement of over two thousand naira. No doubt, health supplements are good for the body. They contain vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fatty acids and some contain herbal extracts such as ginseng. Some of the amino acids and fatty acids contained in health supplements are essential. That is, the body cannot naturally produce them on its own, hence the need for supplements and healthy diets. However, in some facilities, even non health care providers such as sales girls and cashiers recommend supplements to patients. This act reveals that to a large extent there is a general perception among health and non health care providers that supplements are products with very minimal or no side effects, products wi