From Kemi Yesufu, Abuja
The House of Representatives has passed for second reading a bill seeking to establish the National Renal Centre.
The Centre when established is to coordinate various programmes and projects aimed at improving the health, social and economic well-being of patients, coordinate non-governmental agencies related to renal diseases.
The proposed institution is also to maintain a data bank on kidney diseases as well as develop a national benchmark for a multi-disciplinary diagnostic team responsible for the diagnosis of kidney diseases and other related cases.
In his lead debate, sponsor of the bill Bede Eke, stressed the need for the Federal Government to establish a center where Nigerians down with chronic kidney disease can be treated.
According to statistics 17,000 new cases of kidney diseases are recorded yearly in Nigeria, the country is also faced with dearth of nephrologists.
Eke expressed worry, that while the rich can afford not only to maintain healthy lifestyles but also pay for the best of medical care when ill, the poor who struggle to pay for treatment, hardly find out they need medical intervention on time.
He said with many Nigerians having to wait for weeks to undergo dialysis , despite its high cost, it had become pertinent for government to intervene to solve the twin- problem of cost and the low number of facilities where patients can promptly receive treatment.
“The increasing burden of chronic kidney disease and end stage renal disease presents a challenge for both developed and emerging countries like Nigeria.
“Medical experts have revealed that more people die everyday from kidney related diseases than malaria and HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Estimates suggests that one out of every even Nigerian has one stage of chronic kidney disease.
“Given the enormity of the challenge kidney disease presents to our social and economic life, there is need for government to step up efforts at combating the menace of disease through the establishment of the National Renal Center which would lead in the research on kidney disease and treatment” Eke stated.