The Federal Government has slashed the cost of kidney dialysis in federal hospitals nationwide by 76 percent, reducing the average price of a session from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000.
News360 Info reports that the new pricing policy, approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is already in effect in ten federal medical centres and teaching hospitals across the country.
This was disclosed on Monday by the Special Adviser to the President on Policy Communication, Daniel Bwala, who described the intervention as a major relief for Nigerians grappling with kidney disease.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved a landmark subsidy to ease the cost of kidney dialysis for Nigerians. With this intervention, the price of each dialysis session has been reduced from ₦50,000 to just ₦12,000, bringing relief to thousands of citizens battling kidney-related diseases,” Bwala said.
Pilot Centres Across Six Geopolitical Zones
According to the statement, the scheme is being implemented in ten key facilities, including:
Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Ebute-Metta, Lagos
Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, Abuja
University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan
Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owerri
University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Maiduguri
Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta
Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Lagos
Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Azare
University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Benin
University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH), Calabar
Bwala added that more federal centres and teaching hospitals will be included before the end of the year to expand nationwide access.
The presidential aide recalled that last year, Tinubu also approved free cesarean sections (C-sections) for pregnant women in federal hospitals, a policy aimed at reducing maternal deaths.
“These measures demonstrate the president’s Renewed Hope Agenda to ensure Nigerians are not denied healthcare because of cost,” Bwala stated.
Medical experts estimate that tens of thousands of Nigerians suffer from kidney-related conditions requiring dialysis, which often involves two to three sessions weekly, a financial burden for many families.
The government said the subsidy is expected to not only save lives but also reduce the number of patients abandoning treatment due to cost.
