The Benin Medical Care (BMC), on Friday, inaugurated a Renal Dialysis Unit to effectively tackle the rising cases of patients suffering from kidney failure on a daily basis.
Speaking at the event in Benin, the Acting Chief Executive Officer of BMC, Dr Oseyomon Okaiwele, said it became imperative for the hospital to establish the unit as the war against Kidney disease among Nigerians got tougher.
He said that statistics show that at least 20 million Nigerians were living with kidney disease, while 20,000 of the number were coming down with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) yearly, requiring dialysis or transplant to stay alive.
“Of the 20 million Nigerians living with kidney problem, some of them would be in stage 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
“When an individual gets to stage five, that is the point where dialysis and transplant is needed.
“But the estimate is that the number of people who get to stage 5, which is the End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD), is estimated to be 100 per every one million population.
“So, in essence, at least 20,000 people every year get to the stage where they need dialysis,” Okaiwele said.
He further said that, in spite of the dire need for kidney failure management, there were only a few centres where the service could be readily accessed.
He, however, said that a major challenge of chronic kidney disease was late detection.
According to him, about 80 per cent of the people with the disease were unaware until they get to require dialysis or transplant.
In a remark, the Chairman, BMC, Dr Godwin Ehigiamusoe, said the dialysis unit would have impact on the health of the people because it would help to sustain lives.
Ehigiamusoe commended NNPC Benin Medical Staff Multipurpose Cooperative for its collaboration in establishing the facility and pleaded for more of the support.
He said that “most rich people around the world do not invest in health care as a business venture because healthcare is not a lucrative business.
“But we look at a broader return on the health of our people than the return on financial gains.
“We are fully actualising our goal as a medical facility.
“What we do is work in progress, improving the health of our people through interventions,” Ehigiamusoe said.
