By Ozioruva Aliu, BENIN CITY

A medical expert and acting Chief Executive Officer, Benin Medical Care (BMC), Dr. Oseyomon Okaiwele yesterday said not less than 20 million Nigerians have kidney-related ailments but lamented that 80 percent of those with the disease are not aware that they have it.

Okaiwele further said that there is a tendency that dialysis or transplant would be required for them to stay alive one the case is not detected early.
He stated this at the launch of the renal dialysis services of the hospital in Benin City where he said that in spite of the need for kidney dialysis, there are just a few centres where it can be accessed across the country, hence it was imperative to provide treatment through the state-of-the-art dialysis facility.

He said “It became imperative to step in as the war against the kidneys of Nigerians gets tougher. Statistics show that more than 20 million Nigerians are living with kidney disease and no fewer than 20,000 of the number are coming down with End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) yearly requiring dialysis or/and transplant to stay alive.

“Of the 20 million Nigerians living with kidney problems, some of them would be in stage one, two, three, four and five. When an individual gets to stage five that is the point where dialysis and transplant is needed.

“But the estimate is that the number of people who get to stage five, which is the End Stage Kidney Disease (ESKD) is estimated to be 100 per every million population. So in essence at least 20,000 people every year get to the stage where they need dialysis,” Okaiwele said.
On his part, the Chairman, Board of Director of BMC, Godwin Ehigiamusoe said he made investment in the hospital so as to bring quality healthcare closer to the people which is also in line with the mandate of the lift above poverty organisation.