Patients struggle with dialysis bills as FG’s subsidy stalls

Ruth Abraham’s hopes were dashed when she arrived at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja, on Monday, expecting to benefit from the federal government’s subsidy on dialysis.

To her disappointment, the programme had yet to be implemented, forcing her to pay N45,000 per session for dialysis.

Dialysis is a life-sustaining treatment for people with kidney failure (end-stage renal disease, ESRD) or severe kidney dysfunction. President Bola Tinubu had approved a subsidy on kidney dialysis, significantly reducing the cost to N12,000 per session across 11 federal hospitals.

It was launched in January and is reportedly running in Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi.

The subsidy is expected to alleviate the financial burden on patients who often miss crucial dialysis sessions due to financial constraints, ultimately improving survival rates for those battling kidney diseases across the country.

Like many other patients in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abraham was hopeful that the subsidy would ease her financial strain. However, she could not hide her disappointment when the hospital staff informed her that the standard charges remained unchanged.

“The cost of his treatment has not been easy on us,” Abraham lamented, noting that she was forced to reduce her dialysis sessions from three times weekly to twice weekly.

“I need dialysis three times a week, but we only manage to pay for two. We struggle to do that because the cost has not been easy on us. When I heard of the government’s subsidy, I was so happy. I came this morning hoping that I would pay N12,000, but that did not happen,” Abraham said.

Speaking to BusinessDay, Hassana Muhammad, assistant director of nursing, who is also a matron at the dialysis ward, confirmed that the hospital is aware of the subsidy but is yet to implement it. However, she did not provide any reasons for the delay.

Read also: Umahi varsity begins free renal dialysis for patients in Ebonyi

“We have heard about the subsidy, but hospital management has not given us the go-ahead. So, we are still charging N45,000 per session. I will let you know when it starts,” she said.

Efforts to obtain clarification from Obadiah Gana, public relations officer at FMC Jabi, proved unsuccessful as at press time, as he initially promised to provide details but did not respond to further calls.

Other participating institutions in the subsidy include: the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Ebute-Metta Lagos; the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan; the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Owerri; and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) Maiduguri.

Others are: the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Abeokuta; Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Lagos; the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Azare; University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) Benin; and University of Calabar Teaching (UCTH) Calabar.

Hammatu Haruna, the manager-in-charge of the renal centre at the teaching hospital in Bauchi, where the programme was launched, acknowledged the financial strain on patients.

She said, “Patients often find it difficult to afford dialysis. Even if you tell them the amount, they go back and sell something before they can come and pay for dialysis. Some even prefer to stay at home since they cannot afford it.”

She also claimed that patients are already benefiting from the programme in the hospital.

“They are paying only N12,000, and our patients are very happy with this initiative, and we have seen improvement, remarkably in patients’ condition,” she said.

Growing kidney problems among Nigerians

Medical experts say that over 20 million Nigerians live with kidney disease, with no fewer than 20,000 coming down with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) annually, requiring dialysis.

The Nathan Kidney Foundation says that about 27 million Nigerians have chronic kidney diseases (a precursor to kidney failure), with 15,000 new cases every year.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common in Nigeria, and the most common causes of it are hypertension, glomerulonephritis and diabetes mellitus.

“You can protect your kidneys by preventing or managing health conditions that cause kidney damage, such as diabetes and high blood pressure,” said the United States’ National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

“Choose foods that are healthy for your heart and your entire body: fresh fruits, fresh or frozen vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Eat healthy meals, and cut back on salt and added sugars.”