Tag: kidney

  • Ex-Mushin council chief dies of kidney failure

    Ex-Mushin council chief dies of kidney failure

    Immediate past chairman of Mushin Local Government Area of Lagos State Olatunde Babatunde Adepitan popularly known as (OBA) is dead. He died of renal failure, a close family source told The Nation yesterday.

    He is survived by his widow, children and aged mother.

    He was said to have been operated upon in India, but the ailment relapsed on his return home.

    According to his younger brother, Tope, OBA was admitted in a private hospital five days ago in Ogba, Lagos.

    He said he spoke with his late brother last week.

    “We never thought it could lead to death; we are all praying for him. We were shocked to have heard the sad news this morning (yesterday). He is the pillar of our family. It is as if somebody took my life. He did so many things for his family members and people,” he said.

    Former Mosan-Okunola Local Council Development Area chairman Abiodun Mafe described OBA’s death as shocking.

    Mafe joined nine of their colleagues, including former Conference 57 chairman Akeem Owoyemi, and Secretary-General Hakeem Bamgbola to condole with the bereaved family at Ogba.

    “His death is irreparable loss not only for us his colleagues, his family members and the community as a whole. He was quiet but intelligent. We will miss him dearly,” Mafe said.

    A family member, Revd Olu Odukoya, who grew up with late Adepitan described him as a gentleman.

    Odukoya said OBA’s foray into politics surprised many because he was too quiet for partisan politics.

    “We thank God that he made his mark in politics and did not disappoint us. He assisted a lot of people,” he said.

    Among those that visited his Ogba residence were Lagos State House of Assembly Deputy Speaker Wasiu Eshilokun; Senator Ganiyu Solomon; former Chairman of Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, Comrade Ayodele Adewale; Mushin Local Government Executive Secretary Jide Bello among others.

  • ‘Alternative treatment can address kidney disease’

    ‘Alternative treatment can address kidney disease’

    Why do people come down with diseases, especially renal failure? It is because of toxins in their system and lack of oxygen, says a naturopath, Dr Benjamin Afolabi.

    According to him, people have toxic in their system because of the kind of food and drinks they take. This, he added, causes lack of adequate flow of oxygen in their system.

    Most people, he said, do not eat healthily as they consume junk food only.

    This, according to him, usually affects their system because the food would have formed mucus that causes blockages to the flow of oxygen to various parts of the body.

    Besides, this usually prevents the body from protecting itself from external attacks.

    Afolabi,  Chief Executive Officer of Health Eternal Naturopathic Clinic in Ile Ife, Osun State, said many suffer from all kinds of ailments because they have abused themselves over the years with what they consume.

    “Some food and drinks are dangerous to people’s health. So, troubles usually start when the system is overwhelmed as immunity wanes,” he said.

    He identified food made of white flour such as bread and cake as mucus forming food that can clog the body.

    He added: “Dairy products, such as cheese, yoghurt and milk are other foods that can affect the system. People cannot keep away from these food because they are delicious”.

    The disease, he said, often brews when oxygen cannot reach some vital organs of the body. “Bacteria in the body like an environment where oxygen cannot reach. But when the body is flooded with oxygen diseases are put at bay. Anybody with kidney disease or renal failure, has many problems with bacteria and lack of oxygen,” he said.

    He said people should eat organically grown food because chemicals, such as fertilizers, additives, colouring and preservatives usually end in people’s body to form toxic.

    “When they are in the body, they provide environment for disease to develop. Seventy percent of the body is water and once the water is clogged oxygen cannot flow to all parts of the body,” he said.

    The kidneys, he said, do a lot of work to filter junks circulating in the body. The liver detoxifies the chemicals to correct them to something that can be passed to the kidney.

    “If the body is not well-made by God, people would not last for five years because poor eating habit,” he said.

    The human system, he said, would succumb to toxicity and lack of circulation of oxygen. People, according to him, can do without food and drinks for days, but not so with oxygen.

    “People die within minutes when there is no oxygen. Oxygen is one of the principal things the body needs to survive. So, when water and blood are clogged because of “murky” environment caused by food, they automatically lose the oxygen. They would not be able to carry oxygen to all parts of the body,” he said.

    Oxygen, he said, is very important, adding that once the heart cannot take oxygenated blood to some parts of the body, the person dies.

    He said human system makes all organs linked, and as such, holistic care must be initiated.

    Afolabi said the first step to nurture the sick to life was to detoxify the system with herbs.

    “For kidney disease, herbs such as juniper berries and palsey roots are used. We use wormwood, barberry and wild yam for liver detox,” he said.

    The naturopath said most people having the treatment may first look worse-off because the herbs would have gone to all nooks and crannies of the body to push out the toxins into the blood stream.

    Why? The body would have been overloaded with toxins. This makes the patient feel groggy and weak. He may also be vomiting, but he should not be alarmed because it is the healing process taking place.

    To make the detoxification effective, he said, the elimination channels, such as the bowels must be opened, that is, the sick must pass out waste products.

    “It should be one meal in and one meal out. If there is no waste coming out it can cause what naturopathic doctors called auto-detoxification, which is the back flow of waste product,” Afolabi said.

    He recommended that the body be nourished or fed with all the vitamins, minerals and enzymes it needs to repair all the damage. This, he said, comes after cleansing and detoxification.

    “One thing we all should be mindful of is the fact that it’s the body that heals itself, not the doctor or drugs or any outside influence.

    “What we can only do is to provide the body all the tools it needs to heal itself and these can be found in proper nourishment that contains all the building blocks of the human cells and organs, that is, vitamins, minerals, enzymes and amino acids, among others,” Afolabi said.

  • I don’t want to die now, 39-year-old kidney patient cries out

    I don’t want to die now, 39-year-old kidney patient cries out

    On December 31, last year, Adeola Adelusi was looking forward to rewarding and fulfilling New Year.

    The 39-year-old hoped to grow his property management business and achieve his goals but he never knew that fate would play a fast one on him.

    He fell ill and was admitted at St. Gregory’s Hospital, Basiri, Ado-Ekiti, for treatment.

    Adelusi thought that he had malaria but the medical diagnosis gave him a shocker: he was diagnosed with what medical experts called “End Stage Kidney Disease.”

    He was transferred to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti (FETHI) on January 10 and spent a month there undergoing series of treatment, including dialysis.

    The patient said the cost of treatment had depleted his resources as he undergoes dialysis three times weekly and each dialysis costs N68,000.

    Besides the dialysis, Adelusi had also spent a fortune on drugs, which he buys daily.

    As a result of the ailment, he can no longer sleep, sweats a lot and is now left with swollen legs.

    To save his life, doctors have told him to look for N7.7 million for a kidney transplant but raising such fund has become a herculean task.

    Adelusi is calling on governments, organisations and individuals to assist him.

    Life has turned to a nightmare for the patient, who is now a shadow of himself as he spends most of his time at his home in Odo-Ado, unable to go out.

    Welcoming our reporter to his home, Adelusi, who is still single, said since he was diagnosed, “everyday has become sorrowful” for him as he grapples with uncertainty.

    He said: “I can not estimate the amount I have spent because I have spent not less than N500,000 on drugs alone. For over seven days, I have not slept.

    “Life has become very difficult  for me because it affects my breathing and if I can’t breathe well I will be sweating.

    “I weep everyday and my problem is now compounded by the fact that I can’t sleep.

    “I am begging Nigerians to help me. No amount is too small because I need to do this transplant urgently.

    “My father is dead and my mother is  ill so there is nobody to help. I  depend on God now to survive.

    “In fact, I thought I would die in January because I was being taken in an ambulance all around.”

    Those interested in helping to raise the N7.7 million  should do so through his account details: ADELUSI ADEOLA TEMITAYO, UBA ACCOUNT NUMBER: 1016220800.

    He can be reached on  08030888990.

  • Retired police officer’s son needs N6m for kidney transplant

    Retired police officer’s son needs N6m for kidney transplant

    Ishola Taofeeq, 18, is writhing in pains from a kidney disease. He was first diagnosed of it in August 2014. He is  on twice weekly haemodialysis at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). To stay alive, doctors said he would need N6 million for kidney transplant.

    In his medical report from UITH  signed by Dr Ibiyemi M. Ibiyemi, the hospital said: “The above-named patient is being managed for kidney disease. He was diagnosed in August 2014 and will require an urgent kidney transplantation which will cost him about N6 million only.’’

    The son of a retired police officer is, therefore, appealing to public-spirited individuals and philanthropic organisations to come to his rescue.

    He said donations could be channelled through these account numbers: 3060318294

    Name: Ishola Alade, Firstbank, 0020742966; or Abdulkareem A Imama:Access Bank.

    The parent can be reached via this number: 08132150428.

    The report added: “He is on twice weekly haemodialysis. He has requested that a letter be written for him to source for fund for his care. We recommend him for your kind financial assistance.”

    Also, in a Save our Soul (SOS) letter to the state government, Taofeeq’s father and mother, Yunus Ishola and Ajarat urged Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to save the life of their son.

    The letter reads: “We write to request for your financial assistance towards saving the life of our son. He has been diagnosed of kidney disease and requires urgent kidney transplantation. We cannot raise the said amount and we desire to save the life of our son.

    “We have sourced for fund from various means ranging from the sale of our property to begging for alms in the mosques, markets and other public places not minding the psychological trauma involved to no avail.

    “We are now compelled to approach your office as the last hope. As a God-fearing leader and defender of humanity, we appeal to you to come to our aid financially to enable us carry out the operation so that the life of our son shall not be wasted.

    “We hope you will consider our request with dispatch as you have done to others in the past.”

    Taofeeq, who resides with his parents in Kankatu area of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital is also urging members of the public to bail him out of health challenge by donating generously to effect his kidney transplantation.

    He added that so far, he had done more than 11 haemodialyses without getting over the predicament.

    He added: “I am using this medium to appeal to the general public to help out of this ailment by assisting me financially for the operation to be carried out.’’

  • Three-year-old needs N10million for kidney transplant

    Three-year-old needs N10million for kidney transplant

    Under normal circumstances, Anjolaoluwa Oluwole should be rolling out the drums come February 23. Friends, schoolmates and family members should be joining him to cut her fourth birthday cake. But there won’t be any such celebration, at least not this year.

    Anjola, as she is fondly called, may be undergoing dialysis on her fourth birthday. Since last January, she has been subjected to the painful procedure at least twice in a week. Each session costs N20, 000, while pre and post dialysis tests come at N6, 000 per session.

    This is the painful life the adorable three-year-old has been living in the last 11 months. When her mother noticed a tiny swelling in her abdomen exactly on March 28, 2015, she thankfully didn’t take any chances. Laboratory tests revealed that the kidneys of the innocent child were damaged.

    Since her first admission on April 1, 2015, Anjola has been practically in and out of hospital. “She is constantly on antibiotics and keeps getting blood transfusion because the ailment keeps draining her blood,” her mother, Kemi, stated.

    The constant hospitalisation has also exposed her to bacteria, virus and fungi infections, leaving her medically battered. The hitherto brilliant kid has dropped out of school in search of medical solutions to the damages to her young system.

    Her parents are emotionally and financially drained. At the last estimate, nothing less than N2million of the family’s savings have been expended on treatments. Anjola consumes the Human Serum Albumin (HSA) in less than 30 minutes at N40, 000 per drop. Over 10 drops have been injected into her system. There is also the Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), which helps to stabilise her during painful moments.

    Though FFP is administered free because she is a child, it costs the parents a lot to get the drip and screen her for the procedure. “We pay N5, 000 to get FFP after we must have suffered for just two weeks to get screening,” Mrs. Oluwole said.

    The medical report on her case signed by Dr A.U Solarin, a Consultant Pediatric Nephrologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) stated that she was initially diagnosed of nephritic syndrome.

    The report added: “Her renal function has progressively deteriorated and estimated glomerular filtration rate is less than 10%. Kidney is functioning at less than 10%.”

    In simple terms, her two kidneys are gone. To stand the chance of survival, Anjola has to undergo a transplant. The options open to her parents are unattractive. She needs a donor who must be a sibling from 18-65. The second of three children has no sibling that fits that bill.

    Her elder brother is six, while the younger sister is just one year, four months. That leaves the family with the other hard alternative: either of the parents must donate one of their kidneys. While both parents are most willing and have no fuss about paying the price, they are hampered by the huge financial requirements.

    The first has to do with a compatibility test that costs N307, 000 per parent. Each has to undergo the test to determine who is more compatible as a donor. Then Anjola too has to go through the test at the same amount. That practically amounts to almost N1million to cross the first hurdle.

    Next is the cost of transplant itself in either South Africa or India, estimated at N10million. While Kemi makes a little from her catering business, the husband, Olusina, a civil engineer, has been out of job for over two years.

    This leaves the family practically stranded and little Anjola at the brink. But Mrs. Oluwole is optimistic her girl will pull through. “God has kept her despite the crisis and pains associated with the health condition. We have seen Him move on our behalf and believe He will send us help again.”

    She appeals to Nigerians to come to their rescue. Little Anjola requires N10million to successfully undergo kidney transplant. To donate, kindly pay into:

    – Oluwole Victoria Anjolaoluwa 

    6150652132

    Fidelity Bank.

     

  • Checking kidney failure

    • It’s one of the challenges of the times

    Nigeria must be ready to take the necessary steps to reduce the rate of kidney failures in the country. This was the submission from two sources who should know. Sanjay Pandey,  a urologist at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital and Medical Research Institute in Mumbai, India, as well as a team of medical experts led by the President-elect of the Nigerian Association of Nephrology (NAN) and Head of the Dialysis/Transplant Unit and Clinical Director of St Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, Dr Ebun Bamgboye.

    While Pandey blamed late diagnosis of diabetes and high blood pressure for the growing cases of kidney failures in Nigeria, the team of medical experts urged governments in the country to rise up to the occasion to prevent more Nigerians from going down with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and End State Renal Disease (ESRD).

    Medical experts have revealed that more people die daily from kidney-related diseases than malaria and HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. Indeed, about 36.8 million Nigerians (23 per cent) are said to be suffering from various stages of kidney diseases. What this implies is that one in seven Nigerians is suffering from one form of kidney disorder or another.

    This is understandable, given what is known about the disease. According to the team of experts, Black Africans are four times more likely to develop CKD than people of other races; then the prevalence of three major diseases associated with kidney failure – hypertension,   glomerulonephritis and diabetes – which is on the rise in the country; growing arbitrary use of herbal concoctions, bleaching creams and soaps, alcohol, hard drugs and smoking are major causes of kidney problems. Others are increasing number of people living with Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV)/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) as well as low economic status of most Nigerians, among others.

    In spite of these debilitating statistics about the number of people having one kidney challenge or the other, there is an acute infrastructural and manpower deficit in the health sector which make many Nigerians seek medical treatment abroad. Government has to look into these with a view to making the facilities for the treatment of kidney and allied diseases available and affordable locally. We agree with the experts’ recommendation about the establishment of a National Renal Registry and Kidney Transplant Programme as well as extension of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to support patients with kidney failure.

    There is no reason why people who have done transplant should not have free drugs and other assistance. We do not see how this will kill the county if, as Bamgboye noted, the Sudanese government provides same for such people free. Then there is need for regular enlightenment campaigns, especially because some of the diseases are life-style related.

    As Pandey noted, “diabetes and hypertension are the commonest hammers or disaster for the kidney in the long term. Anybody who is having diabetes or hypertension for 10 years or more with key and satisfactory control, will still suffer microscopic injury of the kidney that will be happening regularly”. In other words, people must be aware that with kidney challenges, prevention is better than cure. They have to know that even dialysis is a temporary treatment that does not result in a permanent cure. Persons suffering from kidney problem, prostate, urinary leakages and blockage should know that it is risky to postpone their urinary treatment unless they want to compromise their health further.

    The government also has to come up with policy measures that would lift the country’s economy. When the standard of living improves, people will naturally feed well and also have the means to take care of their health if they have medical challenges. It is when people are poor that they patronise quack doctors and seek spiritual solutions to medical problems, thereby losing time which is crucial in the detection and treatment of kidney problems.

  • Senator Pwajok dies at 48

    Senator Pwajok dies at 48

    Senator Gyang Nyom Shom Pwajok, the flag bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State in the April 11 Gubernatorial election is dead.

    Senator Pwajok represented Plateau North Senatorial District at the upper chamber between 2011 and 2015 as the immediate past senator from the zone.

    Family source said the former senator died at the age of 48.

    Senator Pwajok retired from the senate to contest the governorship election in Plateau state and he eventually emerged as the PDP flag bearer after defeating 16 other aspirants in the party primaries.

    Popularly called Senator GNS Pwajok, his media aid Chuwang Dung who confirmed the death said his boss died Wednesday night in an Indian hospital at the age of 48 after a protracted liver problem.

    Chuwang said, “The family will soon come out with official statement over the death and the burial arrangement later.

  • Free kidney treatment for neighours

    Free kidney treatment for neighours

    Medinat Kanabe writes about a hospital that decided to offer free kidney check-up in its neighbourhood.

    When some Lagosians residing along the Lekki area of the state visited the Healing Stripes Hospital, Lekki last week, their intention was to just go for a normal check-up but they ended up discovering that their kidneys were not functioning well.

    It was the annual free medical camp by the hospital and this year, it decided to do kidney health awareness; free kidney screening, free medical consultation with Nephrologists and free haemodialysis. This was to mark two years of operations of the dialysis centre.

    During the three days that the free medical service lasted, about 20 new cases of kidney disease were discovered.

    The routine was for patients to go in, register, see the doctors for their vital signs, go for blood and urine tests and then see the Nephrologist with the result and hear what next.

    The doctors, Vidya Shankar, a Consultant Nephrologist and transplant physician and Prakash, a Radiologist are from the Vikram Hospital, Bangalore, India. According to them, they came to partner with the hospital in seeing patients for free medical services. “We do free screening for the patients through urine test to know if they need to be treated or if they need dialysis, then they are treated or go through the free dialysis.”

    They advised avoidance of excessive alcohol intake and smoking, consumption of red meat, obesity, and engaging in regular exercises, avoid driving in traffic which he said can stress the lungs, and stay away from gas pollution, to avoid kidney diseases.

    New way to save costs

    They also noted that kidney dialysis and treatment is ten times more expensive in Nigeria than in India. To make organ transplant cheaper they advised against burying the dead with their organs. For instance, “In India, if someone is brain dead, we can use the person’s kidney for another person. That is how it is done in many countries. We have cadavers that are used so Nigerians too should start having cadavers.”

    They explained that kidney damage is irreversible except a transplant is done. “A damaged kidney cannot come back to normal because the cells are dead so it is better if it is discovered early and something is done. When it is discovered early, it can be treated with medicine but when it becomes severe, it can only be treated through replacement therapy. A person can live a normal life if he goes through kidney transplant. ”

    They called on government to help in the control of import duties so that equipment, drugs and other consumables can come into the country cheap.

    For Mr. Owoicho Benard, 39, an Electrical Engineer, who has been battling kidney disease and undergoing dialysis for two years, it was an opportunity for him to undergo one session of dialysis and save N25, 000 even though he has already spent N4.5m on dialysis.

    The Benue State indigene said: “I discovered I had kidney disease two years ago. I have been going to Gbagada General Hospital every two weeks for dialysis but I heard about this free dialysis and came.”

    The father of two called on well meaning Nigerians to help in paying for his dialysis stating that the company where he used to work paid for him until July this year when he was retrenched.

    On her part, the Managing Director of the hospital, Dr. Ezinne Onyemere, told The Nation that they will be giving 60 free dialysis sessions to 60 people.

    She said that kidneys are complicated and amazing organs that do many tasks to keep one healthy. “The main job of the kidney are to make urine, remove wastes and extra fluid from the blood, control your body’s chemical balance, help control your body’s blood pressure, help keep your bones healthy, help you make red blood cells.

    “A person can lose up to 90 per cent of their kidney function before experiencing any symptoms. Early detection is the first step in treating chronic kidney disease. Symptoms of kidney disease includes Nausea and vomiting, passing only small amounts of urine, swelling, particularly of the ankles, and puffiness around the eyes, unpleasant taste in the mouth and urine- like odour to the breath, persistent fatigue or shortness of breath, persistent high blood pressure, muscle cramps, especially in the legs, pale skin, excessively dry, itchy skin, and loss of appetite. In children it is increased fatigue and sleepiness, decrease in appetite, and poor growth.”

    She said ways to prevent it includes keeping fit and active, monitor one’s blood pressure, keep regular control of one’s blood sugar level, eat healthy, keep one’s weight in check, maintain a healthy fluid intake, do not smoke and do not take over the counter pills on a regular basis.

    A 32 year old patient, Miss Okechukwu McJossy who spoke with The Nation said she heard about the free medical camp through a mail, and saw it as an opportunity to be part of it.

  • Hypertension can aid kidney failure

    Uncontrolled hypertension also known as high blood pressure (HBP) and diabetes have been identified as the main reasons people’s kidney fail.

    At a continuous medical education (CME) in Lagos, a Consultant Urologist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals, India, Dr. Narasimhan Subramanian, said hypertension is a major factor, which aids kidney failure.

    He warned that once a kidney fails the solution is for the patient to have regular dialysis and or transplant.

    He said: “There are four types of kidney diseases: kidney stones, infections, kidney failures and cancers of the kidneys”.

    Subramanian said drinking between three to four litres of water daily can help to put kidney stones at bay.

    “But, once the stones are formed,  the treatment is different. There are different types of stones which may require dietary restrictions. Some of them may even require certain medications to reduce the formation of stones,” he said.

    He said many of the urine infections do not necessarily affect the kidneys but “if they are untreated or are associated with medical conditions, which are not recognised, then they can affect the kidney”.

    Subramanian said early diagnosis and prompt recognition of infections in the kidneys are necessary for treatment.

    He identified hypertension, diabetes and the use of pain killers in an unregulated fashion as some of the reason for kidney problems.

    “When these are addressed, people will certainly reduce the incidences of kidney-related medical problems,” he said.

    The urologist said the concentration of salts in the kidney may lead to stones, adding: “So, if  you dilute these by forming more urine it gets washed off the system and reducing this stone formation”.

  • ‘Why we must stop kidney diseases’

    ‘Why we must stop kidney diseases’

    A professor of Medicine and Surgery, Evelyn Unuigbe, has delivered the 158th inaugural lecture of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) at the Akin Deko Auditorium. She spoke on a lecture titled: He gave them for your purification and good health, protect those amazing kidneys of yours.

    Prof Unuigbe, who is also a consultant nephrologist, in her lecture, revealed how Acute Kidney Disease (AKD) and Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) have caused preventable deaths. While AKD was treatable, she said CKD manifests late and untreatable.

    She said patients suffering CKD usually go for treatment, a situation, she said, made the illness treatment difficult. She listed inadequate equipment, research funding, lack of public awareness and poverty as some of the challenges making the CKD treatment difficult include. She urged governments at all level to step up efforts in addressing the problems.

    She said: “We are not always happy when we see patients die of CKD. Many of them come late because the symptoms manifest late. Renal transplant and dialysis are expensive and they beyond what an average Nigerian can afford. The average dialysis and the immunosuppressive drugs, which the patients have to take for lifetime, can be put at N2.6 million annually.”

    She added: “Patients need dialysis three times a week but many of them do it twice, some once and others, when they have the money. There was the case of two 400-Level medical students, who died of CKD. They died one year after they had kidney transplant; it is not because the surgery was faulty but they could not continue with the dialysis. Their dreams to become doctors were truncated. We don’t need to lose people to kidney disease again.”

    The lecturer noted that kidney transplant is free countries, such as United States, United Kingdom, South Africa and Sudan, wondering why Nigerian government lagged behind in providing free dialysis for its citizens.

    She recommended improved awareness, lifestyle modification, regular consultation and promulgation of laws to make dialysis and kidney transplant subsidised.

    Dean of College of Medicine, Prof Moses Momoh, hailed the inaugural lecturer for her “thoroughly conducted” research. He said: “The lecturer has done well. I hope her recommendations would be implemented by the appropriate authorities.”