Health
12 dialysis centres inadequate for 200m Nigerians – Firm
Ademola Adegbite
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Osiris Health, Ayoola Oladipupo, has said the 12 Federal Government hospitals offering subsidised dialysis services are inadequate to cater to Nigeria’s population of over 200 million.
He, therefore, urged the Federal Government to expand dialysis centres and improve health insurance coverage for Nigerians living with kidney disease.
He advised while speaking with The PUNCH on the sidelines of the company’s free dialysis programme, held at Lad Hospital, Orita Challenge, in Oluyole Local Government Area of Oyo State, on Tuesday.
Oladipupo said the growing burden of kidney disease required increased investment in dialysis infrastructure, preventive healthcare and financial support for patients.
According to him, while the government had introduced subsidised dialysis services in some federal hospitals, the initiative needed to be expanded.
He said, “For example, the subsidised programme was rolled out in 12 hospitals. 12 hospitals for a population of over 200 million is very small. There is a lot more to be done.
“I think we just need a lot more dialysis centres. There are places that we haven’t even reached. We are trying to open a centre in Ife, Osun State. In Ife today, there is no single dialysis centre that is fully functional.”
Oladipupo said the private sector could not provide dialysis services alone, especially with the country’s low insurance coverage.
The founder of Osiris said most insurance packages either excluded dialysis or covered only a limited number of sessions, leaving many patients to pay out of pocket.
The CEO said patients with end-stage kidney disease could require dialysis two to three times weekly, with each session lasting about four hours.
“Even at our prices, it is still expensive. It is still beyond the reach of the average Nigerian,” he added.
He disclosed that Osiris charges N35,000 per dialysis session in Lagos and Ibadan, saying the company was deliberately keeping its fees relatively low to provide relief for patients.
“We are a business; we are not a non-governmental organisation. But for us, it is about purpose as well as profit. We are trying to provide some relief for the patient,” he said, adding that the company was also planning to establish a centre in Ile-Ife because of the limited access to functional dialysis services in the city.
He explained that the exercise was the company’s first free dialysis day and was designed to provide financial relief while raising awareness about kidney disease.
The Osiris founder said patients were selected based on clinical considerations because the centres were already operating at capacity.
Oladipupo explained that patients undergoing regular maintenance dialysis were prioritised, while those requiring emergency dialysis might not be suitable for the free sessions because they required more dedicated clinical attention.
The CEO explained that the company was also conducting free health screenings as part of its preventive healthcare campaign, including blood pressure and blood sugar checks and health education.
He said another screening was planned for Akure, adding that Osiris had set a target of screening more than 10,000 people within the next year.
Oladipupo said early detection and management of hypertension and diabetes could help reduce the risk of kidney disease.
“We all need to be more health-conscious. We need to take our annual check-ups more seriously and check our blood pressure. If you do have high blood pressure, it can be managed. It is cheaper to manage hypertension than it is to manage kidney disease,” he urged.
He also cautioned Nigerians against taking medicines prescribed for other people without proper medical advice, noting that hypertension, diabetes, inappropriate drug use and genetic factors could contribute to kidney disease.
The Osiris boss, therefore, called for stronger collaboration between the government and private healthcare providers to increase the number of dialysis machines and centres across the country.
He said better insurance coverage would enable patients to receive dialysis as frequently as medically required rather than depending solely on out-of-pocket payments.
One of the beneficiaries of the free dialysis programme, who requested anonymity, described the intervention as a major relief.
The patient, who said she had been undergoing dialysis for about five months, said the cost of treatment had been overwhelming.
She said, “I can say it’s life-changing because, looking at the cost of dialysis these days, it is really overwhelming and very expensive. So, I’m really happy I got the opportunity to be a part of this movement.”
Describing Osiris Health as a “lifesaver,” she added, “Anyone going through this would know how much they’ve been spending. So, having an organisation to do this for you for free is really a big relief, and I’m happy and grateful to them for their support.”
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