By Gbenga Akingbule
The Chief Medical Director of University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital ( UMTH ) Prof Ahmed Ahidjo on Wednesday assured that the cost of a successful kidney transplant conducted at the hospital, will be the cheapest in all of Nigeria’s public and private hospitals.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Prof Ahidjo disclose that patients from far and near are already taking advantage of the subsidised kidney center at UMTH .
The CMD made this known during a press conference held at the premises of UMTH where the hospital announced the second successful kidney transplant after fifteen years.
According to him , “the cost of a transplant here will be the cheapest in the country” adding that the hospital had also “charged N500,000 for cancer patient on linear accelerator. “This is against N1.2 Million changes by Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) and N2 million charges in private hospitals.
“I assure the people of Nigeria that our kidney transplant will be the cheapest in Nigeria. We will also consider setting up a foundation so that people can donate to help the have not,” Prof Ahidjo said.
Prof Ahidjo also promised free kidney transplant to first 20 patients on the line, and commended federal government for subsidising dialysis ,which enables patients to pay N12,000, which is less than $8 dollars as against $1000 billed elsewhere.
“This is not the first time UMTH is doing the transplant. The first time UMTH conducted kidney transplant was in August 2010, and now the hospital has come back with full force to resume the excercise.
He said UMTH has the largest kidney center with about 85 bed capacity, adding that it is the largest in country.
“UMTH have four fully equipped theatre room all for kidney transplant which were fully equipped with modern equipment,” Ahidjo said.
The UMTH CMD revealed that an individual who preferes to to remain anonymous paid the N15 Milion naira for 3 of the kidney transplant patients. He also stated that there are more 20 Patients who requires the kidney transplant. He then called on the general public and good spirited individuals to revert their supports for the transplant for the remaining 20 Patients.
Dr Hasan Muhammed Dogo who carried the successful kidney transplant on the patient alongside, Prof Muhammed Gadam, Prof Haruna Ngadda, Dr Ahmed , Dr Zanna and Prof Sani Hasan; said the transplant was conducted by the team between the 20th through to 22nd of May within the hospital.
