- Yobe State sponsored over 50,000 free dialysis sessions for renal disease patients, with 600 free sessions monthly, costing N50,000 each
- The Buni administration established a dialysis center, increased haemodialysis funding by 100%, and built a 400-bed Maternal, New-born, and Child Healthcare Complex
The Yobe State government, under the leadership of Governor Mai Mala Buni, has sponsored over 50,000 free dialysis sessions for patients with renal diseases over the past seven years.
Dr. Baba Goni, Chief Medical Director of Yobe Teaching Hospital in Damaturu, shared this information on Tuesday during a tour of the newly completed Maternal, Newborn, and Child Healthcare Complex in the state capital. He noted that the hospital conducts over 600 free dialysis sessions monthly, but due to the high prices of medical consumables, each session costs approximately N50,000.
To address the high burden of kidney failure, especially in communities near the River Yobe, the Buni administration established a dialysis centre at the hospital. The governor also increased the funding for haemodialysis by 100% to support needy patients.
Dr. Goni added that the state government provides free vascular access operations, a necessary preliminary process for dialysis, which costs between N100,000 and N150,000 per session. Additionally, during a visit to the United Kingdom in 2023, Governor Buni invited international experts to investigate the causes of the high prevalence of renal diseases in the state.
“We have conducted a preliminary survey and identified hot spots in some local government areas in the northern part of the state,” said Goni. “We will soon conduct a population-based survey in these areas, analyzing blood samples, soil, and water for potential toxins affecting kidney health.”
The state government is collaborating with the Urology/Nephrology Centre at Mansoura University in Egypt to train doctors from Yobe in kidney transplant procedures. This initiative aims to provide local transplant options, significantly reducing costs compared to the N20 million required for the procedure abroad.
The newly built 400-bed Maternal, Newborn, and Child Healthcare Complex, the largest in the Northeast, is another significant achievement of the Buni administration. This facility is expected to address the high under-five mortality rate exacerbated by the mass exodus of health personnel due to the long-term insurgency in the state.
Dr. Goni emphasized that the new complex focuses on service delivery, manpower training, and research on prevalent health challenges in the region. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that in 2020, Governor Buni awarded a N1.6 billion contract to construct this state-of-the-art facility.