By Mike Adeyemi
A Nephrologist with the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Timothy Olanrewaju has said that 15 per cent of Kwara population is suffering from kidney related diseases.
Speaking to Pilot Health on the sideline of the 30th Conference of Nigerian Association of Nephrology (CONFNAN) held in Ilorin, last Tuesday, the medical practitioner decried the rise in cases of kidney diseases in the state.
He said, “From all available indices, kidney diseases account for about 15 per cent of inhabitant of Kwara population, which we can actually mitigate by putting certain preventive measures in place and tackle the main problem.”
Olanrewaju identified the main causes of kidney problem to include hypertension, diabetes and the use of body creams that contains mercury substances.
He added that the association would collaborate with state government, individuals and corporate bodies in Nigeria on kidney diseases awarenesses in order to educate people on the causes and prevention.
He advised Kwarans to pay attention to their health and stay away from substances that are injurious to their kidneys
The medical doctor, however, noted that the conference is an avenue for nephrologists to brainstorm and proffer better management of kidney diseases.
“We are here to brain storm on the need for a better kidney management and service delivery to our patients and also the need for proper awareness for Kwarans and indeed Nigerians to stop habits that could pose hazards to their kidneys,” the expert explained.
However, in his address at the event, the Chief Medical Director of UITH, Prof. Abdulwaheed Olajide Olatinwo said to address the increasing kidney cases, the health facility has a functional Renal Care Centre.
“On our part at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, we have a fully functional Renal Care Centre with state of the art equipment and highly trained and motivated staff,” he stressed.
The CMD, who was represented by Prof. Olanrewaju Buhari added that: “We recognised early, the need to provide more treatment options for our clients and we set up an ambitious programme that has today, culminated in our stand-alone Renal Care (established in 1991), a tested capacity for renal replacement therapy in form of haemodialysis and renal transplantation (in 2013), and the first accredited school of Nephrology Nursing in Nigeria (established 13 years ago).
“We achieve the highest Level A in the Sister Renal Centre programme of the ISN, the first centre to achieve such in the whole of West Africa and Nigeria,” he further stated.
Olatinwo noted that UITH won the Schrier award at the world congress of Nephrology in Milan, Italy in 2009, adding, “We are part of the multicentre study H3-Africa Kidney Disease Research Network and over the years we have turned out a large number of Nephrologists and Renal-trained nurses”.
