President Bola Tinubu has approved a subsidy for kidney dialysis, reducing the cost from N50,000 to N12,000 for Nigerians in need of the treatment.
The initiative is being carried out in federal medical institutions across the six geopolitical zones.
Hospitals involved in the programme include Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Ebute-Metta in Lagos, FMC Jabi in Abuja, University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, FMC Owerri, and University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) in Maiduguri.
Others are FMC Abeokuta, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), FMC Azare, University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), and University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH).
The subsidy was first introduced in January at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi. Since its launch, 35 patients have benefitted from the reduced cost.
Many of them had struggled to afford dialysis in the past, often selling belongings or skipping treatment due to the high cost.
With the federal ministry of health providing necessary resources, the programme has been running smoothly.
The hospital has received a dialysis machine and over 900 dialysers to support patients.
The initiative has brought relief to those undergoing treatment, making dialysis more accessible for many Nigerians.
