Abuja hospital raises concern over 9,000 monthly kidney failure cases

The management of Wellington Neurology and Neurosurgery Hospital (Wellington Clinics), Abuja, has raised concern over an estimated 9,000 kidney failure cases recorded monthly in Nigeria, calling for increased investment in specialist healthcare services to improve treatment and reduce medical tourism.

The hospital’s Chief Consultant Neurosurgeon and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ugochukwu Charles Ugwuanyi, expressed the concern at a press conference to mark the institution’s 15th anniversary of providing neurological and neurosurgical care.

Ugwuanyi said the reported burden of kidney failure highlighted the need for more dialysis facilities, specialised medical equipment and improved critical care services for patients with severe kidney complications.

He disclosed that the hospital had integrated seven dialysis machines into its intensive care services to support patients whose kidney function deteriorated during severe illnesses or after major surgical procedures.

According to him, the kidneys perform essential functions, including removing toxins and waste products from the body, making kidney failure a serious medical concern.

He explained that patients with severe kidney impairment could require urgent dialysis to sustain vital bodily functions, particularly when their conditions worsened during hospitalisation.

The neurosurgeon said the decision to establish a dialysis unit was partly driven by the need to provide comprehensive care for critically ill patients undergoing specialised treatment.

Although Wellington Clinics was not primarily established as a kidney treatment center, he said it had continued to receive patients requiring dialysis, including those referred from other healthcare facilities.

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Ugwuanyi added that the hospital had invested in advanced diagnostic equipment, specialised operating theatres and intensive care facilities to improve the quality of treatment available to Nigerians.

As part of its 15th anniversary, the hospital reported that it had treated 9,450 patients and performed 4,657 operations since its establishment.

According to him, the procedures included 2,150 brain operations and 2,375 spine operations, reflecting the hospital’s focus on neurological and neurosurgical conditions.

Established in February 2011, the hospital initially operated from Maitama, Abuja, before relocating to its present facility in Dape, Life Camp, in 2024. Ugwuanyi said the expanded infrastructure had created opportunities to accommodate additional medical specialties.

The hospital chief executive called for greater government support for specialist healthcare institutions, arguing that stronger local treatment capacity would help reduce medical tourism and the loss of foreign exchange.

He claimed that Nigerians spent more than $2bn annually on medical tourism, adding that investment in advanced local facilities could encourage more patients to seek treatment within the country.

“Together, we can end medical tourism. That is what I am saying. We will contribute our individual and collective quotas. We will end it,” he said.

Ugwuanyi identified specialised brain treatments, prostate surgery and kidney transplantation as among the services Nigeria should increasingly be able to provide locally.

He stressed that government support for specialist hospitals, improved infrastructure, and collaboration among medical professionals were essential to expanding access to advanced healthcare.

The neurosurgeon also identified unreliable electricity supply as a major challenge for hospitals operating sophisticated medical equipment.

He said Wellington Clinics had transitioned to solar power and recorded 120 days of uninterrupted electricity supply before the anniversary event, adding that the move had reduced power-related treatment costs by about 90 percent.

Ugwuanyi also called for responsible media reporting to raise public awareness of healthcare challenges and encourage stronger policy support for specialised medical services.

He maintained that developing local healthcare capacity was essential to ensuring that Nigerians could access advanced treatment at home instead of travelling abroad.