2024 WORLD KIDNEY DAY: POOR LIFESTYLE, COST OF CARE EXPOSE MILLIONS TO RENAL ALIMENTS, DEATH
The Ondo State University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital ( UNIMEDTH), has joined the rest of the world to observe 2024 World Kidney day, a global healthcare event themed ‘Kidney Health for all Advancing Equitable Access to Care and Optimal Medication Practice’ .
The significance of this year celebration is to geared to educating the general public and patient with kidney ailments about equitable and unbaised strategies towards the care of our kidney, treatment and prevention of the diseases. More so, to encourage collaborative efforts from Organised Private Sectors, NGOs and government institutions on how to improve access to appropriate treatment for all and sundry.
Dr. Ayodeji Akinbodewa a Consultant Nephrologist from UNIMEDTH described growing patronage of poor lifestyle habits and other abuses are exposing millions of Nigerians to chronic renal diseases, kidney failure, and . He stressed on poor of level of public awareness as regards preventing the kidney problem.
In his word, public health education through campaigns in our rural and urban communities would go a long way to prevent, treat and manage the ailments among our people. Also for equitable access to care and medication practice.
Beside, Akinbodewa reiterated the high-risk environment, the galloping cost of renal care has pushed remedial efforts beyond most sick Nigerians. Already there about thousands kidney related deaths every year.
He critiqued that public campaigns once a year is not enough to articulate and sensitize mind of our people about the dangers of having kidney problems, prevention of it and treatments. He advised that a collaboration between the private sectors, NGOs and Government institutions would go a long way to fashion out comprehensive and sustainable public health education at a subsidised rate for the treatment of renal diseases.
According to Akinbodewa, findings show different level of care, for instance a patient on dialysis requires an average of N160,000 weekly, for three dialysis sessions. Monthly, the cost ranges between N400,000 and N650,000 depending on the hospital facility of choice.
Dr. Ayodeji Akinbodewa, highlighted roles UNIMEDTH is playing to combat the ailments among the patients having it and how community medice public health education departments are working it out to educate the general public as a way of preventing and manage it.
He lamented the growing numbers of citizens living with kidney diseases is very worrisome not only for the medical doctors but to every individual who encountered people with kidney disease. Akinbodewa added that dedicated medical personnel are on ground to offer comprehensive treatment with modern medical equipments for an optimal medication practice at UNIMED Teaching Hospital Ondo state.
Akinjide Oluwatope
UNIMED Teaching Hospital
Ondo State
14th March, 2024
