Apart from Dr. Bamgboye’s report, there have been quite a number of people who are suffering from kidney disease coming on air to solicit for the help of Nigerians.
Truly, this evidence shows that, Nigeria still has a long way to go in developing nation’s hospitals.
It is regrettable that, often times, Nigerians are flown abroad to get cured of kidney related diseases, especially when it has to do with transplanting and it is indeed sad that, people die of these preventable diseases in the country, yet Nigerian people spend years in universities across the world studying medicine and still have this kind of situations.
Kidney failure or end stage renal disease is becoming a major issue in Nigeria due to increase in its incidence. Available statistics indicate that kidney failure is increasing world -wide by approximately seven percent annually and incidence in Nigeria could be as high as 10 per million population
Despite huge amounts of money allocated to the health sector at each budget year, Nigeria is still unable to establish Kidney foundation or hospital where its citizens who at one time or the other fall victim of this end stage disease can be taken care of.
It could be recalled that, during Yar’adua’s regime, much revenue was allocated to health and security sector, which would have boosted the sector and extended its capacity to include building of special centres and training of medical personnel such as nephrologists, that will handle any complications emanating from kidney ailment that always attract foreign expert attention such as heart clinic, liver and kidney centre. The unavailability of this special hospital and high cost of dialysis, however, has led to easy road to death of kidney patients in Nigeria.
The incidence of kidney disease cuts across most ages and the prevalence is among patients aged between 20 and 50 years. This means that a significant number falls within the working population and may pose a serious threat to the future of Nigeria's economy. This means that something must be done now.
Just last year, more than 20 people were shown on television calling on Nigerians to donate money for them to travel abroad for medical attention. The most pathetic was the situation of Mr. James Ngo, a primary school teacher, who was unaware of his diabetes status until it deteriorated to kidney failure. NGO, within a shortest period of being diagnosed with kidney failure, became pale and very poor looking.
James is a father of three, who was just living with a meagre amount as salary. A man who could hardly boost of hundred thousand, was asked to pay 13 million Naira in order to fly him to India for transplantation.
Another pitiable condition is the case of Zainab, a then 200 level mass communication student of University of Maiduguri, who was recently aired on television seeking for the support of Nigerians to raise huge sum, N9million, to seek medical treatment abroad. Unfortunately, the aforementioned kidney patients are both from poor families just like many others. Then, one will now ask how high rate of death caused by kidney related diseases can be reduced if average Nigerians cannot easily get medical attention as at when necessary because of large amounts of money involved.
Experts say, Kidney diseases are treatable and its progression can often be curtailed particularly if caught early, adding that, early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease from getting worse, and can prevent the need for dialysis or transplant.
In many teaching hospitals, it was gathered that 16 to 60 new patients are in need of dialysis and as such go out of their way to solicit for help. For instance, at the Gwagwalada Specialist hospital, it costs N19,000 for ‘Normal Dialysis’ and a patient has to go through this, three times in a week, while it cost an average of N75,000 for three rounds of dialysis on a weekly basis.
In addition, a patient has to go through other medications and procedures that have to be done regularly. The cost of renal transplant in Nigeria is in the region of N3million and above, while an average of N150, 000 monthly is required for post transplant treatment. Most privileged patients seek medical attention in countries such as India.
From the findings, Nigerian Pilot learnt that another contributing factor to the high death rate of kidney patients in Nigeria is as a result of lack of medical experts - Nephrologists. According to experts, who said before now, doctors scarcely specialised in Nephrology due to the belief that it was not lucrative instead, they prefer to take to gynaecologist as they also believe it fetches more money compare to the former.
According to reports, Nigeria spends its huge part of revenue sending kidney patients abroad. This money spent abroad would have been saved and channeled to other meaningful economic activities that will yield more income for the nation.
The first paediatric kidney transplantation in Nigeria was successfully carried out at St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos in 2009. While the first ever adult transplant was conducted on 31 year-old Suleiman Usman, in September 2010 by experts at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital in collaboration with Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital and the Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife.
Yemi Raji, a Nephrologist at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, while speaking at a sensitisation programme, called on the federal government to assist patients with kidney failure. Dr. Raji appears to be beckoning on government to borrow a leaf from advanced countries of the world as well as some African countries, where government renders assistance to patients with kidney failure.
A typical example is Sudan. The cost of treating kidney failure is subsidized, while in Europe and America, government bears the entire cost of treatment. However, in Nigeria, due to the less support from the government, stakeholders used the World Kidney Day which is usually observed every March 8, to raise consciousness on kidney donation, in addition to cautioning members of the public on the commonest causes of kidney failure which include diabetes, and hypertension.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this article very helpful.
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