Kidney transplant: FMC Umuahia appreciates FG, public over feat

The management and team of doctors who successfully performed kidney transplant feat at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia on Wednesday appreciated the Federal Government, particularly the Federal Ministry of Health, and the general public over their reactions on the feat.

Addressing newsmen during the occasion, the team of over 45 medical personnel was led by the Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Dr. Abali Chukwu said the Federal Ministry of Health has reacted over the success, as well as “huge reaction from the public” which he said was overwhelming.

He disclosed that the centre relied on the Federal Government for the provision of the necessary logistics for the hospitals Kidney centre, while expressing their gratitude for them.

The CMD said that the team was led by an Ohio United States partner University, Dr. Erondu Anosike, Dr. Chimezie Okwuonu, Dr. Acho George, Dr Obiekwenna, Dr. Ego Okam among others, stating, “The Federal Medical centre, Umuahia is happy to announce the successful Kidney Transplant, and which is the first in the entire south east.

“Before now, 10 hospitals in the country have done that and we are happy that the FMC, Umuahia has joined the number”, Dr. Abali said disclosing that both the donors and recipients were doing well.

The donors and the recipients, he said will soon be discharged, pointing out that the transplants were entirely free, stating “FMC, Umuahia has not and will not charge them and will follow up the patients for one year with medication to ensure that the kidneys continue to do well” through a kidney centre at the FMC.

According the FMC CMD, the vision for that started in 2015 when the FMC, Umuahia was invited by the Teledo University, Ohio in the USA, and after observing the programmes in the FMC, the university offered the hospital an “invitation into the hall of fame”, hence the affiliation through Memorandum of Understanding, MoU.

This, Dr. Abali said was followed by the training of four of hospital personnel in the university “and other centres in the country”, while the partnership is expected to last for about four years through what he called “skill transfer” when FMC would have acquired the skill.

The feat was done through 20 percent participation from the local doctors, while 80% came from the Ohio university personnel, stating, “We are happy that our kidney transplant here in FMC Umuahia was successful and will continue to run”.

“We are also happy that Dr. Obi Ekwenna of the Ohio University is from Nigeria and who played key role during the transplant, as well as another Abia from Ozu Abam, Mr. James Ogbuka Inekwe who donated large consumables for the Kidney Centre and all who participated in the transplant, even up to the driver”, assuring that the centre will be handling up to 20 of kidney transplants within the first half of 2018 and another 20 during the second half.

He also appreciated the donors and members of their families “for having the courage to donate one of their kidneys”, stating the vision of FMC, Umuahia to make kidney transplant in FMC the cheapest in the country as the hospital’s kidney foundation hopes to subsidize the transplant to less than N3.5 million, far cheaper than other centres in the federation.

He appealed to well-meaning Nigerians and philanthropist to buy into the course of kidney transplantation and to donate kidneys without burden to the patients and which is cheaper than renal dialysis, which he said can only last for 5 years and also very expensive.

A donor said, “When Mother Nature failed (one of the recipients, I had to come to his assistance, and I am doing well”.

The other donor and recipients addressed the press looking healthy and neat

Sunday Nwakanma, Umuahia