Borno Hospital Set To Begin Free Dialysis For Kidney Patients

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno state has said that government under his leadership would soon begin free dialysis and other Kidney related medications at the newly constructed and digitally equipped Dialysis Centre, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Intensive Care Unit, Radiology and other complex treatments in the State Specialist Hospital, Maiduguri, the state capital.

The Complete Construction and equipping of the Kidney Complex with digital Dialysis Machines was funded and donated to the Borno State Government by a philanthropist from Osun state, Abdulkabir Adisa Aliu, who is the Managing Director of Matrix Energy ltd through his Foundation.

Dialysis is used in patients with rapidly developing loss of kidney function, called acute kidney injury (previously called acute renal failure), or slowly worsening kidney function, called Stage 5 chronic kidney disease.

Shettima who visited the ongoing projects which have reached 90% completion on Monday was accompanied by his Deputy, Alhaji Usman Mamman Durkwa and the brand new Candidate of the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum among other dignitaries.

He commended the level of work done, and declared his total support to ensure that the health sector is strengthened to meet up and confront the challenges affecting the health system in the state.

His words: "The present administration is worried over the increasing cases of kidney diseases which have become a source of concern not only to patients and relatives, but to the entire management of University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), which is the only centre for dialysis in Borno.

" As government, we have to respond by establishing a digital Dialysis Centre for our people, and this services would be conducted free of charge. I am aware that a kidney patients have to pay between N25,000 to N30,000 per month before undergoing a single Dialysis at UMTH, as responsive and responsible government, we have to act and to offer free dialysis to all kidney related patients in this Hospital, as almost all the projects have reached 90% completion.

"We have started training our medical personnel who are to handle all these digital machines, I also have a friend who is a renowned Nephrologist, Dr. Wudiri, we will partner with him along side some retired nurses from the Dialysis Centre at UMTH, even on contract basis to pilot this very good project.

" Our people in Borno don't have a business to travel to other country for medical attention, under this government, we have so far invested over N10 billion in the health sector, and out of these amount, only N3 billion naira was earmarked and expended on these projects through direct labour at this Hospital alone. I am really satisfied with the level of work done so far.

"I want to also use this opportunity to call on well to do individuals, especially those from Borno state to emulate Aliu Foundation, a man from Osun state who is a Yoruba man, but had to come to our aide, while some Borno opportunists were busy in Abuja tormenting mischief." Shettima stated.

Earlier while conducting the governor round the project sites, the Chief Medical Director, Borno State Hospital Management Board, Dr. Salisu Kwayabura said, the new dialysis centre which is about to be commissioned soon has 10 beds capacity, and would be one of the best not only in the North East, but the country in general.

Kwayabura said, apart from the newly constructed and fully equipped Dialysis Centre, the state government undertook construction and equipping of 120 bed Paediatric Complex, Radiodiagnostic complex with 1.5 Tesla Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), including 128 Slice CT Scan, a digital Mammogram and X-Ray Ultra - Modern Theatre Intensive Care Unit, Accident and Emergency 2D, 3D and 4D Ultrasound Digital C-arm all in the hospital.