Posted by By Olugbo Soretire on
A non-governmental organisation, Kidney Consultants International (KCI), has raised an alarm over the growing number of Nigerians with kidney diseases.
A non-governmental organisation, Kidney Consultants International (KCI), has raised an alarm over the growing number of Nigerians with kidney diseases.
According to the operations director of KCT, Mr. Adebayo Sokunbi, the figure of Nigerians with kidney-related diseases has grown to 150,000 per year.
'We have a lot of estimates but what is sure is that there is between a 100 or 200 per cent per million of the populaton and that means a 150,000 to 200,000 Nigerians with kidney diseases per annum,' he disclosed.
Sokunbi revealed that the cost of kidney transplant, which can only be done in three hospitals in Nigeria, St. Nicholas, Lagos; Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, costs between N4million to N5 million, which cannot be afforded by most Nigerians with this disease.
Meanwhile, dialysis, which is the cure for acute kidney disorder, costs N90,000 weekly apart from medications which is N150,000 monthly. However, there are some clinics that offer free kidney tests to people, like Finnih Medical Centre in GRA, Ikeja, and Vantage Medical, off Ligali Ayorinde Street, V/Island. These tests take place between 10 a.m. and 12, noon on Wednesdays and they have screened over 2,500 Nigerians.
Speaking more on the symptoms of kidney diseases, Mr.Sokunbi stated that patients have swollen faces especially in the morning. 'Their urines are soapy, general weakness of the body, blood pressure and they get puffy hands and feet. To avoid kidney disorder, you are to take foods with low sodium, a lot of fruits and vegetables and less fatty foods,' he said.
Finally, he advised the federal government to provide access to adequate renal care for Nigerians as advocated by the Nephrological Association of Nigeria.