Umuahia Fed Medical Center Successfully Carries Out 11 Kidney Transplants

As Nigerians continue to react over the conviction of the former deputy Senate president, Ike Ekwerenmadu on charges of illegal organ harvesting in far away United Kingdom, news have broken over a silent medical revolution taking place in Ekwerenmadu’s neighbouring home state, Abia.
A team of Nigerian specialist doctors at the Federal Medical Center, Umuahia have reported 11 successful transplantation of kidneys, a very much needed but missing service in the country.
Trending on social media is the news of the feat by a team of six medics.
A note from the team leader read:
“Just coming out of theatre. We just finished having our 11th Kidney transplantion right at FMC Umuahia.
“We strive continually to improve medical practice in our environment, promote excellence and reduce medical tourism. It is possible if we believe in our system, work towards it and have a supportive government.
Dr Chimezie Okwuonu MBBS, FWACP, FMCP, PhD
Kidney transplant Nephrologist, FMC Umuahia, GCU 92, 27.03.23.”
According to statistics, more than 20 million Nigerians are living with kidney disease and no fewer than 20,000 of the number according to medical experts, are coming down with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) yearly, requiring, dialysis and/or transplant to stay alive.
Experts identify hypertension, diabetes, chronic infections s major causes of renal damage in Nigeria and it costs about N600,000 to put one patient on dialysis monthly, N10million for transplant in Nigeria and more outside.
In many cases, due to lack of trust in the nation’s health system which is fraught with poor service, poor infrastructure and constant scare of strikes, patients opt for treatment abroad. That explained the Ekwerenmadu saga. Since organ trafficking is a serious offence, stringent surveillance in the British system fished out the former deputy Senate president and has slammed a soon to be effected 10 year jail term on him. His wife and the medical doctor in the middle of the planned organ harvesting have also been found guilty. The organ donation arranged here in Nigeria was busted in the UK. It was a response to the failing kidney of their daughter,
Nigerians have continually called for an upgrade of the health sector and provisions for special health needs but rather than address that government officials ignore the home need and instead, spend heavy sums seeking medical attention abroad.
The federal government was quoted as recently saying that Nigerians spend between $1.2 billion and $1.6billion on medical tourism, enough sum to put in place necessary infrastructure in key health challenge areas.