Kidney transplant nephrologist and immediate-past chairman of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Abia State chapter, Chimezie Okwuonu, has said the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, Abia State, performed its 11th kidney transplant with 80 per cent success in all the cases.

He said the latest successful case was performed on a 68-year-old diabetic and hypertensive patient.

“The patient suffered from end-stage kidney disease and has been on dialysis at Beatitudes Mediplex and Kidney Centre Umuahia,” he said.

Okwuonu, who was a member of the transplant team, stated this, yesterday, noting that the kidney transplant programme of the hospital had been a huge success since its inception.

According to him, the kidney transplant programme in the hospital was initiated by the former chief medical director (CMD), Chukwu Abali, in December 2017 with surgeries performed in collaboration with the University of Toledo Medical Centre, Ohio, USA.

He commended the management of FMC, especially the current CMD, Azubuike Onyebuchi, for the uncommon passion and support for the programme.

The consultant nephrologist said: “This programme has received tremendous support under the leadership of the current CMD.

“The hospital is very much poised to continue kidney transplantation despite the numerous challenges confronting the programme which include manpower drain, out-of-pocket payment by the patient and need for more equipment for a kidney transplant.

“Sustaining kidney transplant in our public institution is not easy but we are determined to continue the surgeries and patient care with the support of the board and management of FMC, Umuahia which we have”.

He called on kidney disease patients in the South East region to patronise the hospital for solutions instead of seeking medical attention abroad which is usually very expensive, and sometimes unsuccessful.

Director of the programme, Nosike Erondu, called on patients with end-stage renal disease to take advantage of the kidney transplant programme of FMC, Umuahia to have a new life. He expressed the readiness of his team to render efficient and quality services that could be got in any best hospitals in the world. (Daily Sun)

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