The federal government has reduced the cost of kidney dialysis from ₦50,000 to ₦12,000 per session, a 76 to 80 per cent subsidy.

 This initiative aims to make dialysis more affordable for thousands of Nigerians battling kidney-related diseases.

The participating hospitals are: Federal Medical Centre, Ebute-Metta, Lagos; Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja; University College Hospital, Ibadan; Federal Medical Centre, Owerri; University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital; and Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta.

Others are Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos; Federal Medical Centre, Azare; the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin; the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar; as well as the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi.

This initiative is part of President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, aiming to ensure Nigerians have access to affordable healthcare.

In Kano, the 80 per cent dialysis subsidy has led to a significant increase in patient attendance at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano. The intervention, under the Renewed Hope Agenda, has slashed the cost of dialysis from between N50,000 and N60,000 per session to N12,000, providing relief to indigent kidney patients.

Speaking on the development, Tijjani Rahim, the deputy director of Nursing Services at AKTH and head of the Dialysis Unit, said the unit now attends to between 22 and 25 patients daily. He stated that the spike in the number of patients followed the implementation of the government’s subsidy programme, making AKTH one of the first hospitals to benefit from the scheme.

A patient, Sani Musa, recalled paying between N54,000 and N60,000 per dialysis session before the subsidy. He said the cost was later reduced to N20,000 and now stands at N12,000.

Another patient, Mamuda Aliyu, said the reduction from N60,000 to N12,000 per session had enabled him to continue treatment.

Malama Hafiza Isa confirmed that she previously paid N60,000, then N55,000, N45,000, and later N20,000 before the current rate was introduced.

The patients, however, appealed to the government to consider making dialysis treatment entirely free to ease their burden.

AKTH’s chief medical director, Abdurrahman Sheshe, said the subsidised dialysis programme had commenced at the hospital. According to him, the hospital has received consumables to cater for 1,000 dialysis sessions under the initiative.

Mr Sheshe spoke during the launch of the National Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Scheme at the hospital. He explained that the NEMSAS programme would provide 48 hours of free medical care and emergency transportation for pregnant women, children, accident victims, and other critical cases.

He appealed to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and philanthropists for support to sustain the programmes.

The dialysis subsidy is part of the government’s broader health sector reforms, which also include the Basic Health Care Provision Fund and NEMSAS. It is aimed at strengthening emergency response and reducing the financial burden on patients.

On August 21, 2025, the government approved the dialysis subsidy scheme for 11 federal tertiary health institutions across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.

(NAN)