The Federal Government has slashed the cost of kidney dialysis in federal hospitals from N50,000 to N12,000 per session under a new subsidy scheme aimed at reducing the financial burden on Nigerians battling kidney-related ailments.
Deputy Director and Head of Information & Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Alaba Balogun, who disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, said the intervention is part of the present administration’s efforts to save lives, ease physical and financial suffering, and expand access to universal health coverage.
Implementation of the pilot phase has already commenced in eleven Federal Tertiary Health Institutions across the six geo-political zones. The hospitals included:
1. Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital
2. University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital
3. Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital
4. University of Jos Teaching Hospital
5. National Hospital Abuja
6. Federal Medical Centre Ebute-Metta
7. University College Hospital Ibadan
8. University of Benin Teaching Hospital
9. Federal Medical Centre Yenagoa
10. Federal Teaching Hospital Owerri
11. Federal Medical Centre Abakaliki
Balogun further dismissed claims that the Northwest was excluded from the intervention, stressing that the subsidy scheme is designed to benefit patients across all geo-political zones of the country.
“The Federal Government has not excluded the Northwest states in the dialysis subsidy, contrary to reports in some media outlets,” he stated. “The programme will be expanded in due course as more federal hospitals are added to widen access for subsidized dialysis sessions.”
Health experts noted that kidney patients often required multiple dialysis sessions weekly, with costs previously running into hundreds of thousands of naira monthly. The new subsidy, therefore, offers a significant financial reprieve for families who have struggled to keep loved ones alive while battling the high cost of treatment.
Balogun reaffirmed that under the Renewed Hope Agenda, government remained committed to ensuring no Nigerian is left behind in accessing affordable and quality healthcare services.
