On Monday, the Federal Executive Council, FEC, gave the green light for the procurement of 7,887 dialysis consumables in a bid to enhance healthcare accessibility for individuals grappling with kidney ailments.
After the council meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Work, Ali Pate, made this announcement to the media.
The objective is to tackle the escalating prevalence of non-communicable conditions like hypertension and diabetes.
The consumables will be divided among seven federal tertiary hospitals, which include the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and the National Hospital in Abuja.
Pate emphasized the significance of prevention in addition to treatment, outlining strategies for public health screenings and lifestyle adjustments to curb future cases of kidney disease.
He stated: “As part of the President’s endeavors to reduce the cost of healthcare services access, considering the high incidence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, and various vascular diseases in Nigeria, the Council has today granted approval for the one-time procurement of 7,887 sets of dialysis consumables for usage by Nigerians battling chronic ailments in seven federal tertiary hospitals.”
“These hospitals encompass the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre in Ebuta Metta, Federal Medical Centre in Owerri, the National Hospital in Abuja, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, University Teaching Hospital in Maiduguri, and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi.”
“This move aims to make the cost of treatment more manageable for those afflicted with critical illnesses like kidney disease through dialysis.”
“It is a step in the right direction, but managing kidney disease necessitates not just dialysis but also prevention. This forms part of the initiatives of the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that we avert scenarios where hypertension and diabetes progress to kidney disease.”
“We are contemplating screening so that Nigerians can screen for hypertension and diabetes, alongside adopting lifestyle changes to reduce the incidence of individuals needing dialysis. Nevertheless, for those impacted, the accessibility cost poses a major obstacle.”
“This initiative by Mr. President is geared towards providing succor within the framework of several other policy interventions to guarantee that Nigerians can avail themselves of crucial healthcare services. With this endorsement, we will be able to offer these services, which I believe will provide relief to numerous Nigerians and their families in accessing dialysis services. These services are highly essential in our nation.”