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World kidney Day: Foundation offsets medical bills of patients in Niger

As part of the activities to mark this year’s World Kidney Day, a Kidney Foundation, Nathaniel Kidney Foundation (NKF), in Niger State has off-set the medical bills of a number of kidney patients at the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) Specialised Hospital in Minna, the Niger State capital

The Kidney Foundation, which was said to have been established in 2022 by the family of the late Nathaniel Matthew, a 24-year-old kidney patient who lost the battle to the disease in 2021, has since it’s establishment reached out to over 50 kidney patients across the state in the area of offsetting their medical bills.

In addition to settling the medical bills of kidney patients, the foundation has used every World Kidney Day to embark on an enlightenment campaign and sensitization on radio and television against kidney disease and possible prevention of the disease.

The chairman of the foundation, Mr. Gideon Makeri, while speaking to journalists in Minna shortly after a sensitization walk and a visit to the patients at the IBB Specialised Hospital in Minna, explained that the foundation was established by the parents of the late Nathaniel Matthew to remember the promising young man whose life was cut short prematurely due to a kidney infection.

This year’s World Kidney Day, which he pointed out coincided with the birthday of the late Nathaniel, was used to reach out to the kidney patients by offsetting their medical bills, emphasising that the foundation, since it came on board two years ago, has supported kidney patients in the area of treatment both in Nigeria and overseas.

According to him, “over 50 kidney patients have so far benefited from the foundation. The beneficiaries include those that the foundation has supported in the area of treatment at home and in the diaspora, and they are today healed of the diseases and are doing well.”.

He noted that among the beneficiaries this year was a 300-level student of the Ibrahim Babangida University (IBBU) Lapai, who is currently placed on dialysis at the hospital, adding that seven kidney patients have their hospital bills paid as part of the activities to mark this year’s World Kidney Day in the state.

While appealing to well-meaning individuals and corporate organisations to come forward and partner with the foundation towards assisting kidney patients in the state, Mr Makeri decried the rising cost of the treatment of kidney disease in the country, saying that to undergo dialysis now, a patient needs about N30,000, adding that such patients might be required to undergo dialysis three times in a week.

“In advanced countries, the government pays for diaries for the people, but in Nigeria, the reverse is the case, and because of this, some people stayed back at home and resigned their faith in God. That is why we are appealing to individuals and organisations to come and partner with the foundation to try to save lives.”.

The Chief Medical Director of IBB Specialised Hospital, Dr Bala Waziri, commended the family of the late Nathaniel Mathew for sustaining the foundation since it was launched two years ago, saying, “The foundation has made remarkable contributions to the lives of kidney patients in the state and urged them to sustain the momentum.”.

According to him, a lot of people living with the disease in the state and the country, in general, are going through very difficult times, especially with the high cost of the treatment of the disease, pointing out that “the price of drugs and dialysis equipment has gone up beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians. A lot of patients can no longer afford the cost of the treatment.

“Some patients undergo dialyses three times a week, with each costing N30,000. This is aside from normal kidney drugs, for which the price has also gone up by more than 100 percent,” he stated.

He described the condition of kidney patients in the hospital as very pathetic and thereby appealed to well-meaning individuals and corporate citizens to come to the aid of those suffering from the disease.

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