Worried by the rising cost of a kidney transplant, a Consultant Nephrologist and the immediate-past chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, Abia State, Dr Chimezie Okwuonu, has appealed to Government and corporate organizations to subsidize the cost of kidney transplant in Nigeria.
Dr Okwuonu who made the advocacy during the 5th anniversary of Kidney Transplant Programme of the Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, regretted that the rising cost of kidney transplant had prevented a number of kidney patients from accessing medical treatment.
The former NMA boss who explained that it costs about N9 million to conduct a kidney transplant in Nigeria, wondered how many patients could afford the cost considering the biting economic hardship.
Okwuonu expressed deep worry that patients with as much as N5 million could not have a transplant.
“We saw from our data that we have patients that have N3 million but they were not able to afford a transplant, even N4 million, N5 million, because our transplant programme is N9 million, N7.5 million for the surgery and N1.5million for the tests that are required.”
He, therefore, advocated subsidy from Government and corporate bodies for kidney patients to undergo transplant and avoid early grave.
Other challenges facing kidney treatment at the FMC Umuahia, according to Dr Okwuonu include the increasing cost of transplant equipment.
He also identified nonavailability of willing kidney donors and brain drain as other impediments against the kidney programme.
He noted that the FMC Umuahia was the only Kidney Transplant Centre in the entire South East, adding that since the establishment of the centre five years ago, it has brought a huge relief to kidney patients.
According to him, the Centre has conducted 10 transplantations in the last five years with 70% success.
He restated the readiness of the medical team to tackle cases brought to the centre, adding that early detection of kidney related diseases places the patient at advantage.
Decrying the rising cases of kidney disease Dr Okwuonu advocated regular kidney screening while urging patients to seek early treatment.
On the major objective of the anniversary, Okwuonu said:”The main purpose of our gathering here today is to celebrate the success we have achieved, enumerate our challenges and discuss the way forward.”
Speaking at the event, the Chairman Medical Advisory Committee, CMAC, FMC, Dr Ugochukwu Onyeonoro, assured that the hospital management would continue to provide support for the kidney transplant programme.
In a remark, Director of the Kidney Transplant Programme, Dr Anosike Erondu, proposed establishment a Foundation that could subsidize the cost for the patients.
He also urged people to be mindful of their eating habits and watch against those things that could predispose them to kidney disease.