On a rainy Saturday, I suddenly noticed my 2 years old son had rashes all over his body. Puzzled on what it could be and what I should do, I decided to take him to the nearest primary health center because I was broke and couldn’t afford our usual The Vine Hospital at oluyole extension.

Being confident that they would run diagnosis and give medical advice on how to best treat it.

The lady doctor or nurse or attendant or wardmaid who was on duty that afternoon was busy pressing her phone when we arrived. We sat down beside her and she asked how she may help us.

I explained to her while she was still engaged and engrossed with her phone and seems not perturbed. She nodded in agreement with what I was telling her, looked at me and my son briefly and returned back to pressing her phone.

I had never seen a doctor or nurse do that before hence I concluded that she was attending to an emergency on her phone. Abi na, wetin make I talk? She didn’t even study the rashes to tell me what it was. Rather she made us pay and take malaria test. She also took his temperature.

My son’s malaria test came out negative but his temperature was high. She advised that he be given injection to bring down the temperature.

Nurse Pepeye( not real name) came to tell us to pay some sum of money for the injection, and I wanted to know why it was a bit expensive since it was a govt owned primary health center. I expected medication to be cheap and affordable for the common man if not totally free. she replied that the government hardly gives them anything free except for malaria tablets.

She said If my son tested positive to malaria, he would have gotten malaria drug free. I paid and he was given the injection behind his buttocks. 2 on his right side and 1 on his left side.

If only I knew that that single act would bring me tears, anxiety, pain and several sleepless nights, I would not have agreed but now how I wish I could turn back the hands of the time.

It’s been 2 months now when he was given the injections by the nurse . About 3 or 4 days after his injection, the nightmare began, he woke up one morning and could not walk. When one touches his legs, he screams in pain.

There was never a best sleeping position. You will stand for hours to carry him. Once you tried to sit down or adjust your hands, he starts crying in pain.

In 2 months, there have been 5 occurances or should I say relapses. It would reoccur every 1 or 2 weeks. He would wake up suddenly unannounced in the morning with no strength in his legs.

He would not be able to walk and would be in great pain. He would cry all day. He was able to limp in 3 days and eventually walk and run on the 5th day.

He has started physiotherapy at another hospital, Which is another painful experience.

It’s been a stressful, emotionally drained and helpless 2 months. Just listening to your child over and over in pains for hours and not knowing what to do to ease such pain is not a good experience.

I have gone back to Elebu primary health center to complain. They have a good hearted matron though. She listened and apologized.

The main reason why I’m writing my “piece of mind” is because I wouldn’t want any child to experience what my son has been through these past 2 months. During physiotherapy, he cries non stop for 1 hour.

Elebu primary health center continues to give injections behind the buttocks which I believed has been discouraged/ stop pod, Which innocent child is going to fall victim again?

Giving injection behind the buttocks in the wrong location may cause damage to the sciatic nerve.

My son 5th relapse was 3 days ago. He woke up and couldn’t walk. The good news was that it lasted for 6 hours rather than 3-5 days.

Perhaps the physiotherapy is working gradually and we still have 3 more sessions to go with the physio, Perhaps God is showing him mercy. Whichever reason I’m tired, exhausted, stressed and want all to come to an end sooner than later.