Nigerian Federal Government has taken a significant step in reducing the cost of renal dialysis for kidney patients across the country. Starting this week, patients in eight states can benefit from a 20 per cent reduction in dialysis fees at several federal hospitals, including the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Ebute-Metta, Lagos; University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan; FMC Owerri; and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), among others.
This initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the health sector, aimed at improving access to quality healthcare for Nigerians. Dr. Adedamola Dada, the Chief Medical Director of FMC Ebute-Metta, made the announcement on Sunday via a post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
“@FMC_EB (FMC Ebute-Metta) starts highly subsidised renal dialysis from today for those on dialysis courtesy of the PBAT Renewed Hope Agenda in the health sector. The programme is available in all zones of the country,” Dada wrote in the post.
Dr. Tunji Alausa, the current Minister of Education and former Minister of State for Health, also shared details of the new programme, listing the participating hospitals and stating that Nigerians across the country could now access more affordable dialysis treatments.
“In addition to FMC Ebute-Metta, the Federal Government has also subsidised renal dialysis treatment at UCH Ibadan, FMC Owerri, UMTH Maiduguri, FMC Abeokuta, LUTH Lagos, FMC Azare, UBTH Benin, and UCTH Calabar, among others,” Alausa said. “Many thanks to @officialABAT for fulfilling his promise to improve healthcare access for Nigerians.”
The 20 per cent price reduction is a welcome relief for many Nigerians battling kidney diseases, which require ongoing dialysis treatments to stay alive. Kidney failure is a serious condition where the kidneys can no longer filter waste and excess fluid from the blood, leading to dangerous health complications. Dialysis is often the only lifeline for patients who do not have access to a kidney transplant or other advanced treatments.
Renal dialysis is a medical procedure that removes waste and excess fluid from the blood, a function normally performed by healthy kidneys. Patients suffering from kidney failure require dialysis to stay alive, often for years, if they do not receive a kidney transplant. However, dialysis is an expensive treatment that is out of reach for many Nigerians. The high cost of dialysis has made it difficult for a large number of patients to access care, resulting in poor health outcomes and, in some cases, death.
A recent report by the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights the growing challenge of kidney failure worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria. According to the WHO, kidney disease is becoming more common as more people are affected by conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and other lifestyle diseases, which can damage the kidneys over time. The global rise in kidney failure presents a heavy burden on healthcare systems, especially in countries where the cost of kidney replacement therapies, including dialysis and transplantation, can be prohibitively expensive.
For patients in Nigeria, access to affordable dialysis has been a persistent issue, with many unable to afford the treatments, leading to a growing number of avoidable deaths. The WHO highlights that while dialysis is a critical treatment for those with kidney failure, it is also resource-intensive. As such, it has urged countries to focus on preventing kidney disease by addressing its root causes, such as controlling high blood pressure and diabetes, alongside making treatment more accessible.
