Nigeria achieving 70% success in kidney transplant — NMA

Abia State Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Dr Chimezie Okwuonu, has said that hospitals in Nigeria had amassed seventy percent success in kidney transplant in recent times.

Dr Okwuonu made this known while speaking to journalists at the 2021 edition of the Nigeria Medical Association annual General Meeting / Scientific Conference, themed: “Tissues and Organ Donation: Scope, Prospect and Ethical Challenges,” held in Awka, over the weekend.

He said the country had achieved success in the area of kidney, donation and that a handful of hospitals in the country presently carry out kidney transplantation against what was obtainable in the past.

Dr. Okwuonu who delivered a keynote paper at the event, disclosed that the country had recorded over 70 percent one year survival in both patient and Organ kidney transplantation, but decried that many Nigerians die because of failure to afford transplantation. 

“A lot of Nigeria patients are too poor to afford kidney transplant as it takes an average of N7-10 million to get a transplant done and as a result, a lot of patients lose their lives.”

He regretted latest trend where Nigerian youths donate their organs for quick financial return blaming such evil attitude on the poor economic situation of the country.

 “A lot of young Nigerians are coming up to donate to be paid financial remunerations. This financial remuneration is unethical and what we preached here today is altruistic donation.”

He commended Lagos State House of Assembly for passing a bill for extraction of organs from deceased persons and persons on the verge of death, noting that such bill would cease to encourage youths from indulging in organs sells. He also said the bill is timely and would make donor organs available for Nigerians with critical cases.

In his remarks, Dr. Emma C. Emelumadu, said Nigeria seriously lagged behind on the issues of Tissues and Organ Donation which he said formed the important part of success in medicine to the extension of human life.

Emelumadu who decried fate of medical practitioners in the COVID-19 plagued world, said the event would be a wakeup call for improved medical endeavour, while he also called for a critical review for the safety of practitioners in the country.

Earlier in his address, Anambra and South-East NMA Chairman, Dr. Jide Onyekwelu, described the annual general meeting as an avenue to brainstorm on new developments in healthcare delivery and dovetail

discussions to bear on the health of the people.

 Dr. Onyekwelu who described the meeting as avenue to celebrate individuals that have excelled in medical practice, harped on the need of the state branch to erect befitting secretariat. He also beckoned on healthcare partners to assist the chapter in achieving her

objective in the state through financial donations and the likes.

 The Chief Medical Director, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Dr. Joseph Agbouaja, while commending the success of the event, called on the both Federal Government and striking Resident Doctors to do the needful and end the strike.

He used the event to announce that the teaching hospital had concluded plan to build a World class hospital facilities in their parmenant site on a Public Private Partnership (PPP), worth N15 billion.

Speaking also at the event, the Chief Medical Director of Chukwuemaka Odumegwu Ojukwu Teaching Hospital Amaku, Awka, Dr. Joe Akabuike who in his statement implored the need of establishing specialists of various diagnoses as it will aid the efficient running of medical tourist center in the Anambra State.

Tribune Online gathered that the event was declare open by state Commissioner for Health, Dr. Vincent Okpala on behalf of governor Willie Obiano.

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