Nigerians may soon have a policy on management of kidney ailments including care for living organ donors as a deliberate attraction to encourage willing donors to come forward.
This may give hope to kidney patients at a time when more people die from complications thrown up by kidney failure while many also die waiting for kidney transplantation as donors shy away, fearing the consequences of donating their kidney.
Research shows that no fewer than 45,000 Nigerians are killed yearly by kidney failure. Some 50,000 patients need kidney transplant/dialysis yearly, but only 5,000 get it.
The positive signs for such policy emanated in Abuja last week at a forum celebrating kidney donors who are alive and kicking to tell their stories.
Leading the pack of optimists are Senator-elect Darlington Nwokocha, Abia Central; Mrs. Miriam Onuoha, member, House of Representatives, Okigwe North; Dr. Obi Ekwenna, a transplant and lead surgeon, Clarion Call Care and Dr. Ibrahim Wada, founder of Nisa Medical Group.
Hon. Nwokocha, presently a member of the House of Representatives, promised to sensitize lawmakers on the importance of deepening healthcare insurance coverage and especially how the government can collaborate with corporate organisations and philanthropists in providing care and support to living organ donors.
He said he was glad to hear the Clarion Call Care Foundation focusing on the wellness of donors, describing such a gesture as a welcome development. He promised to galvanise government support and ensure close collaboration between the public and private sectors.
“For me, coming from the legislative clan, I’ll do my best to see how I can support this clarion call. I believe goodlegislation is one aspect that can drive this process so extensively to dovetail into giving us the right answer to so many of these challenges”, said the lawmaker.
Nwokocha added that donors ought to be provided with access to psycho-social support, adequate care, proper education and appropriate financial support during donation processes.
He also promised to collaborate with Clarion Call Care Foundation and sponsor 10 kidney transplantation process within the year.
Nwokocha urged all stakeholders to ensure that “the brave individuals” who chose to donate organs to save lives are treated with the utmost care and respect they deserve through education and legal framework.
Representative Onuoha emphasized the importance of sound legislation on insurance for living donors in the country even as she described her presence at the forum as a necessary first step prior to offering a legislative intervention on the promulgation of the living donor protection bill.
“The National Health Act of 2014 talks about issues relating to blood donation, transfusion, tissue transplantation and organs.But a lot more needs to be done as regards welfare and after care for the donors. I believe that if we allay those fears and set this foundation straight, we will have a pool of more donors who will be willing to come for testing and donating this gift of life”, she emphasised.
Dr. Wada noted that the event, the first of its kind in Nigeria, was organised to connect and honour individuals who had given the gift of life to others.“I say to them:Your courage, compassion, generosity have touched the lives of countless individuals and families and for that we thank you.
“Through this event, we aim to not only recognise but also offer our support to living kidney donors who have often undergone challenges in their journey to give life to someone else”, he observed.
Wada disclosed that the event was organised to enable living donors to share their experiences, connect with others who are on similar journeys and receive the support and care that they rightfully deserve.
Mr. Joseph Uma, described as the first kidney in the South East, noted that inadequate awareness and post-donation care remained serious disincentives to willing donors.
“Let me use this opportunity to tell everyone to take me as an example. I had those fears but I tried to encourage myself and push the fears aside. So, I encourage everyone to donate because it can happen to anyone close to you, your wife, child or relation”, he advised.
Uma said though some discomfort will arise at the beginning but after a while it will fizzle out, and there is no need to entertain fear.
Ms. Mary Brown, a nurse practicing in the United States, said the event was also aimed at appreciating persons who had donated one of their organs in saving the life of others.
“For us in the U.S., we dedicate an entire month to celebrate all the living donors in the month of April, because you can give more than just a kidney. And we are here to celebrate all the 13 transplants we have done here”, she said.
A living kidney donor, Ms. Evyln Abrakson shared her experience after donating to her mother, and described her experience as“fulfilling” to give someone another chance to live.
“My story is bitter-sweet. I donated to my mum but sadly, she developed complications which led to a stroke and she passed on. She didn’t get to enjoy the kidney but she got to live for almost two years and gave us an opportunity to see life in a different way” she narrated.
Abrakson said the whole journey has changed her perspective in life as she has a better understanding of what ones’ kidneys are to them adding that if she had another kidney and someone has a need for it, she will still give it as being a living donor is just being joyful that you can give someone else hope.
Mr. Taiwo Okungbowa, also a living donor who donated his kidney to his twin brother said he couldn’t help but just make that decision remembering they came to this world together plus the special love he had for his twin.
He disclosed that he was strongly encouraged by his wife and felt even more confident of donating after making several researches and realizing he could live well with one kidney. He said nothing could hold him back.
Another living donor, Mr. Alex Ude implored all present to not hesitate to donate their kidney to save the lives of people around them and opined that is the reason God gave two kidneys to each person.
The experts gathered at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, agreed that the kidney transplantation procedure is quite cumbersome. After the evaluation stage,comprising several steps,a series of tests will be conducted to ensure that donation of an organ will not be detrimental to neither the donor nor the patient.
“Indeed, several specialists including a psychiatrist, a psychologist, a sociologist and other medical specialists, those involved in surgeries and those involved in patient management will take the potential donors through several stages to make sure their physical and mental health could handle organ donation,” explained Prof Aliyu Abdul, consultant physician and nephrologist at Aminu kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.
An eye surgeon and former Chief Medical Director at the Federal Medical Center, Umuahia, Dr. Abali Chuku said while kidney transplantation was a viable option for many patients,the procedure is not widely available in Nigeria. That was why he assembled a team of experts and subsequently embarked on a mission to bring kidney transplantation to the South-East.
Chuku recalled that on December 7, 2017, history was made at the Federal Medical Center, Umuahia where two kidney transplants were carried out free of charge. “It was a groundbreaking achievement that brought hope to many patients suffering from kidney diseases. And since then, we have continued to build on this success. Currently, we have done 11 transplants at the FMC,” said Chukwu while urging leaders in the healthcare sector to collaborate in improving healthcare delivery in Nigeria.
The high point of the event was the launch of a book titled “Priceless” authored by Uma.
The living donor day celebration was jointly hosted by Clarion Call Care and NISA Premier Hospital. The basic aim was celebrating living organ donors, especially kidney donors who had sacrificed a part of them to save the lives of others as well as to encourage others to help those in need around them and shun discrimination.
Clarion Call Care is a foundation passionate about providing care and support to those in need.
They provide public awareness, education research and health literacy pertaining to human organ and tissue donation, working with civil society, government, non-government, private and international agencies to provide care, research, support, assistance and protection of all living donors.
The foundation provides care, research, support services and assists patients with end organ disease throughout the transplantation process. They also provide and promote care, education, research, and health literacy on lifestyle medicine specifically targeting kidney and urologic health.
Clarion Call Care has an unwavering commitment to the highest standards of responsibility and compassion; recognizing and developing a deeper sense of purpose rooted in values including respect, integrity, excellence, diversity, equity and inclusion.
