1000 residents benefit from free dialysis, as Borno moves to cut COVID-19 spread
About 1000 patients of renal diseases have acquired free kidney dialysis offered to them by the Borno State government between December 2019 and June 2020. This total is based on an average of 135 dialysis sessions per month, beginning from the 144 in the first month, December 2019.
The state Commissioner of Health and Human Services, Dr Salihu Kwayabura, told newsmen yesterday, Thursday, 18th June, in Maiduguri that the 135 monthly average was arrived at considering the fact that some patients attended more than one sessions.
In addition, the Commissioner said, the state government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure control and prevention of COVID-19 pandemic.
Kwayabura said the COVID 19 response team has ramped up testing capacity to cover the increased number of passengers coming to the state.
“The free dialysis has enabled each patient to save N100,000 which is the amount to be spent by each patient, by him or her for paid services,” Dr Kwayabura said, explaining, “the state government decided to offer the services free considering the fact that insurgency has impoverished majority of our people to the point that they cannot afford to pay for the services.
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“Kidney dialysis is free to all citizens of Borno State, irrespective of economic status’’, he said.
The commissioner admitted that “prevention is more important than treatment,” arguing, however, “but you cannot prevent what you have not been able to determine; we are yet to determine what exactly is responsible for the high prevalence of renal diseases in Borno State and the entire North-East”.
This is why, he said, the state government recently commissioned research into the prevalence of the disease in the state to enable it to design and implement preventive measures.
“On COVID -19, the state has recorded about one hundred cases in the last one week thereby occupying the ninth position with over four hundred and fifty confirmed cases.
