President Bola Tinubu has approved a subsidy on kidney dialysis services for Nigerians, significantly reducing the cost from N50,000 to N12,000 per session. This initiative is being implemented across 11 federal medical institutions located in the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The participating hospitals include the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Ebute-Metta in Lagos, the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Jabi in Abuja, the University College Hospital (UCH) in Ibadan, the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Owerri, and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) in Maiduguri. Other institutions benefiting from the subsidy are the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abeokuta, the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in Lagos, the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Azare, the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) in Benin, and the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH) in Calabar.
The subsidy program was initially launched in January at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital in Bauchi.
Hammatu Haruna, the manager-in-charge of the renal center at the teaching hospital, highlighted the significant relief the subsidy has brought to patients. “They are now paying only N12,000, and our patients are very happy with this initiative. We have seen remarkable improvement in their condition,” she said.
Haruna noted that before the subsidy, many patients struggled to afford the high cost of dialysis, which often led to delayed or inadequate treatment. The reduced cost has made the life-saving procedure more accessible to a larger number of Nigerians, improving their quality of life and health outcomes.
This initiative is part of the federal government’s broader efforts to strengthen the healthcare system and make essential medical services more affordable for citizens. It follows other recent healthcare interventions by the Tinubu administration, including the employment of 774 National Health fellows to bolster the healthcare workforce.
The subsidy on kidney dialysis is expected to alleviate the financial burden on patients and their families, ensuring that more Nigerians can access the critical care they need without facing economic hardship.
