Abia to commission first dialysis centre in Southeast Nigeria

The centre will be managed by Mecure, India.

The Abia State Government on Tuesday said it was ready for the commissioning of the first dialysis centre in the Southeast zone of the country.

According to a statement signed by Obed Asiegbu, Special Assistant on e-Governance and Strategy to the Governor of Abia State, Theodore Orji, the centre which is located at the Abia Specialist and Diagnostic Centre, Umuahia (former Alaoma Hospital), was constructed by an international specialist group, Mecure, India.

The centre, being part of the completed and ongoing projects embarked upon by the Theodore Orji administration, has been commended by experts as a revolution in the health sector.

The state governor, Theodore Orji, during an inspection of equipment installed at the facility, stated all that was needed for the take off of the centre was ready except for the technical partners who will man the equipments. Mr. Orji added that the centre will bring succor to patients with renal disorder as they do not need to travel far or outside the country to spend much money on dialysis. He said the centre had enough dialysis equipment to meet the need of patients, unlike cases in most public hospitals.

So far, the state government has equipped and upgraded one hospital in each of the three senatorial zones of the state into a referral hospital for specialist treatment and diagnosis, Mr. Asiegbu said. It has also undertaken massive re-equipping and modernization of the Amachara General Hospital as the pilot hospital for Abia Central Senatorial Zone; and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital Aba to serve the people of Abia South Senatorial zone; while the Umunnato General Hospital is to serve as the Specialist Hospital for the Abia North Senatorial Zone.

In the rural areas, the state government is complementing the Federal Government to ensure the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals by building and equipping 250 health centers in various villages in the state and distributing ambulances to 10 local government areas to aid in conveying pregnant rural women to the nearest hospital to guarantee safe delivery, the governor’s spokesperson said.

Mr. Orji also said that as part of qualitative health delivery, the state government has embarked on the construction of an auditorium at the specialist hospital Abayi, Aba, for student doctors and has also continued to meet its counterpart obligation to partner agencies such as WHO, UNICEF. It has also continued to support the Ministry of Health in its campaigns and other activities aimed at keeping Abia state polio free.

“In addition, it has also undertaken massive refurbishing and expansion works at the School of Health Technology, Aba, the School of Nursing, Umuahia and the Uzuakoli Tuberculosis and Leprosy Centre,” Mr. Orji said.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr. Asiegbu stated that that the Ministry of Health has been contacted for a planned commissioning of the centre.

“Right now there’s no fixed date for the commissioning but the centre is totally ready for commissioning,” Mr. Asiegbu said

He also revealed that the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, MDCN recently approved the centre for medical students’ internship and plans have been concluded on the training of indigenous health professionals and majority of the doctors and nurses who will be in-charge.