Well, I can only talk about the reluctance to hospital visits in Africa/Nigeria as that is where I reside. I reckon it'll be the same for all developing nations.
People may not like hospitals for a number of reasons:
- Fear of the unknown: I think a lot of people are comfortable just not knowing the things happening within. People feel like being oblivious to a disease makes them immune to the disease.
What I don't know can't hurt me.
Fear of modernization: This may seem silly, but a lot of people are scared of modern equipment used in hospitals.
Religion: In Nigeria particularly, religion is a big problem in the healthcare sector considering that a large amount of the population would rather pray and fast than seek medical attention when ill.
Poorly trained health personnel: This is my own personal favourite reason. It's not always about patients. In some places, health care is so terrible that I would rather just self-medicate.
Poverty: Pretty simple, they can't afford daily meals so health care is a luxury they definitely can't afford. It's just not a priority for poor people/ low-income earners, worsened by the lack of proper health insurance schemes in
3rd world countriesdeveloping countries.Previous bad experience: Especially seen among people who have lost close relatives due to negligence on the part of health workers.
I think I have basically summarised all the reason I can think of as to why people would be reluctant to seek expert medical care.
Hey @the.chiomz
All your listed points are very valid and we must say that these are really reasons why people eschew hospitals when the need arises. Interestingly, your second point sounds funny. Do such group of persons really exists?!
Thanks for contribution.
Cheers!