More states of the federation and colleges of medicine in some universities have revealed plans to set up kidney treatment and transplant centres.
LEADERSHIP Sunday had reported last weekend that some public and private hospitals have recorded tremendous successes in kidney transplants that attracted global attention and patronage from patients in developed and developing countries.
The chief medical directors and consultants in the affected hospitals had disclosed that 20 percent of their patients come from the United States (US), United Kingdom (UK), Canada, and India. They attributed this to affordable cost and a flexible process of organ transplant in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, further findings have shown that the Renal Unit of the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile-Ife, Osun State, has conducted 22 kidney transplants on Nigerians since its first operation in 2002.
The head of the unit, Dr Oluyomi Okunola, told LEADERSHIP Weekend in Ile-Ife that the current cost of a transplant per patient had risen from N7 million to N25 million because of the exchange rate of naira to the dollar.
In order to reduce the cost of transplant, Dr Okunola appealed to governments at all levels to invest in renal care. He specifically called on the federal government to grant waivers on import duties on medications and immunosuppressants.
He recommended the establishment of a transplant centre in each of the six-geopolitical zones, the release of take-off grants to jump start the programme, train doctors to upgrade skills and enhance the pay of health workers.
Also, the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin, Kwara State was reported to have performed its first kidney transplant in November 2012.
Since then, there has been no official information about any other kidney transplant in the hospital.
In an interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend, the permanent secretary of the Borno State Ministry of Health, Dr Babagana Kadai, said the state government would establish a kidney transplant hospital after upgrading the existing dialysis facility in the state.
Kadai said, “We don’t have a kidney transplant centre, but there is a dialysis centre at the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, where dialysis is carried out freely on the participants with renal failure.”
He said that this year, the state proposes to increase the dialysis and establish the same in Borno Central, Borno North and Southern part of the state in order to ease the accessibility to the facilities by patients with renal failure across the state.
“After the establishment of the dialysis centres across the state, we might upgrade to kidney transplant centres,” he stated.
Relatedly, the David Umahi Federal University Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Ebonyi State, has commenced free kidney dialysis for patients and plans to flag off its Kidney Transplant Centre soon.
The vice chancellor of the university, Professor Jesse Uneke, told our correspondent that research on the disease had started.
He said, “We have started renal dialysis and research is already ongoing on kidney disease on how we can stop it. We will soon flag off the kidney transplant centre also in the university. This place is a centre of excellence and will soon end medical tourism. The founder of the hospital, Senator David Umahi, has a great vision for the university and his dreams are coming into realisation.”
Similarly, the pro-chancellor of the university, Mr Adebayo Shittu, said the institution would soon become a centre where all life-threatening diseases would be treated.
In Kaduna State, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching University (ABUTH), Zaria, is preparing to commence kidney transplant.
The hospital’s chief medical director, Ahmed Umdagas, who announced ABUTH’s readiness to start kidney transplant last year, said the surgery would begin in the first quarter of 2025.
Although, investigation by our correspondent revealed that ABUTH is yet to start the kidney transplant due to infrastructure challenges, it has acquired the necessary equipment for the take-off.
In another development, the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State, has received a N1 billion grant from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to collaborate with the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for the take-off of a kidney transplant centre.
The chief medical director of JUTH, Dr Pokop Bupwatda, told LEADERSHIP Weekend that three patients were scheduled to undergo the surgery last year.
He however said there were things to be put in place, especially the ongoing construction of the Tissue Typing Laboratory.
According to him, to carry out kidney transplant, the hospital needs to be sure of compatibility between the donor and the receiver, if not, there would be a rejection, which can lead to the failure of the transplant.
The CMD explained that the team had discovered that some of the regents supplied had expired when they attempted the tissue typing.
He said the management of UNIJOS and JUTH would soon meet to review and chart the way forward.
Also, the director of the centre, Prof Chima Ofoha, listed the challenges as lack of dedicated structure for the facility to operate and the construction of Tissue Typing Laboratory which is very expensive.
The Imo State commissioner for Health, Dr Prosper Ohayagha, hinted that plans were being worked out with the private sector to venture into the specialised medical field.
In Zamfara State, the director of Medical Services/Hospitals in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ibrahim Nakanka, said no hospital in the state conducts kidney transplant.
He said the only kidney transplant was conducted at Usmanu Danfodio Teaching Hospital, Sokoto (UDTH) a few weeks ago.
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