By; BALA B. BITRUS, Minna.
The Chief Medical Director, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida Specialist Hospital, Minna, Dr. Umar Isah has alerted that cases of kidney disease and renal failure are on the rise.
Dr. Isah revealed that many people are coming down with cases of the disease even as he disclosed that in the last five years, no fewer than 400,000 persons from across Niger state alone have been diagnosed with kidney related diseases.
The Chief Medical Director spoke Thursday at the flag off of a week long free medical prognosis and check up organized by the IBBSH to mark this year’s World Kidney Day.
While giving the frightening statistics of sufferers of the disease, the Chief Medical Director said Four hundred thousand people across the state were estimated to be suffering from chronic kidney diseases with a sizeable number of the sufferers with acute kidney injuries which may require surgery or kidney transplants.
He said no fewer than ten per cent of the estimated 400,000 patients were suspected to have chronic renal failure which are surgery bound or outright transplant, a medical operation that is often costly and difficult in handling.
Dr. Isah while crying out over the surge in the disease, said “the rise in Kidney related ailments is becoming so alarming”. Though the state has a kidney dialysis center at the IBB Specialist Hospital, the centre has been inundated with increasing traffic of patients for routine dialysis sessions.
The Chief Medical Director of the Specialist hospital disclosed that since the establishment of the dialysis centre at the hospital about four years ago, the centre has had more than 3,000 dialysis sessions and prepared no fewer than seven patients for kidney transplants which were successfully carried out.
The theme for this year’s World Kidney Day is “Kidney Disease and Obesity”. The CMD assured that the hospital and the state government were determined to ensure that the facility at the centre discharge it’s duties properly in redressing the challenges.
Commissioner of Health in Niger state, Dr. Mustapha Jibril who was represented at the occasion by the Director, Public Health in the state’s Ministry of health, Dr. Mohammed Usman disclosed that the state has established a non communicable disease control centre to address kidney related diseases.
The Commissioner said emphasis on education and awareness campaigns on the risks factors associated with obesity, proper oral hygiene, certain life styles and practices would be stepped up as measures to checkmate the rise in kidney related ailments.
At the free medical clinic as part of the occasion marking this year’s World Kidney Day, bout 300 people screened were advised by the Medics to embibe healthy lifestyles,
The screening included checking of blood pressure, blood sugar levels, protein in blood, weight and urinalysis.
