Means of Transportation and its Effect on Eye Care Seeking Behaviour of Patients in a Rural Setting

Background: The observation of the frequency with which patients presented at the outreach clinic at Giwa General hospital with complications resulting from intervention by traditional healers led to an investigation regarding their preference for western or traditional solutions to eye ailments alongside the distance necessary to travel from home to the General hospital (outreach center) and the means of transport necessary to get there.
Methods: A total of 348 patients were seen over a6month period from January 2002- June 2002. These patients were interviewed using a simple questionnaire, the setting being the outreach eye clinic, Giwa general hospital, Giwa local Government Area of Kaduna State In Northern Nigeria.
Results: A total of 348 patients interviewed were found to use various means of transportation when seeking western medical or traditional medical assistance. Some had to use several modes of transport in order to arrive at the outreach eye clinic. Patients were seen from six districts in Giwa Local government Area. 27 patients (7.8%) lived less than 5km from the outreach center, while 56 (16.1%) lived 5-10 Km from the outreach center. 86 (24.7%) patients lived 11-15km away while 96 (27.6%) live 16-20km from the outreach center. A total of83 (23.9%) had their homes greater than 20km away. Out of 348 patients, 233 preferred o seek western medication and they had to use several modes of transportation including trekking, motor vehicles, canoe, bicycle, and motorcycle to access medical eye care. The others preferred to seek traditional solutions to their problems.
Conclusion: It is clear majority of patients are aware of the benefits of western medicine and seek to access it. Nevertheless, the inconvenience of certain/necessity to take multiple modes of transport to do so may result in lack of uptake of western medical facilities leading patients to seek alternative medical attention close to home.