By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday approved the purchase of 7,887 dialysis consumables to enhance healthcare access for citizens suffering from kidney diseases.
Minister of Health and Coordinating Minister for Social Work, Ali Pate, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Council meeting presided over by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chamber, Presidential Villa in Abuja
He said the approval aims to address the rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes.
The consumables will be distributed across seven federal tertiary hospitals, including the University of Benin Teaching Hospital and the National Hospital in Abuja.
Pate emphasised the importance of prevention alongside treatment, highlighting plans for public health screenings and lifestyle modifications to reduce future cases of kidney disease
He said, “In continuation of the President’s efforts including reducing the cost of access to health care services considering the vast noncommunicable disease that we experience in Nigeria, hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, several vascular diseases, the council today approved one of purchase of 7,887 sets of dialysis consumables, for the use of Nigerians who are suffering from chronic disease in seven of our federal tertiary hospitals.
“These hospitals are the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Federal Medical Centre in Ebutte-Metta, Federal Medical Centre in Owerri, the National Hospital, Abuja, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, University Teaching Hospital, in Maiduguri, and the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, in Bauchi.
“This is an effort to make it affordable the cost of treatment for those who suffer from integral disease through dialysis. It’s a start, but dealing with kidney disease requires not only dialysis but also prevention.
“That’s part of the efforts of the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that we prevent cases of hypertension, and diabetes that progress to kidney disease.
“We’re looking at screening so that Nigerians will be able to screen themselves for hypertension, and diabetes, but also get the lifestyle modification so that we have less and fewer people requiring dialysis.
“But for those who are affected, we know that the cost of access to that is a major impediment. This effort by Mr President is to bring relief within the context of several other policy measures to ensure that Nigerians have access to critical healthcare services.
“And with this approval, we’ll provide those and I think it will bring relief to several Nigerians and their families for accessing dances, and services. They’re very much needed in our country”, he said.
