Obi Decries Nigeria’s Kidney Care Crisis After Visiting Nearly 1,000 Patients in Enugu

The Presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has described his visit to nearly 1,000 kidney patients in Enugu as one of the most depressing experiences of his life, lamenting the state of healthcare in Nigeria.

Obi, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said he travelled to Enugu after attending the funeral Mass of the late Most Rev. Obiora Akubeze in Benin City, where he met patients battling kidney disease, including children.

He described the patients as people facing some of the most difficult moments of their lives and expressed concern that many were left helpless despite Nigeria’s abundant resources.

According to him, Nigeria has more than 25 million people living with kidney disease but fewer than 200 kidney centres and approximately 500 functioning dialysis machines, against an estimated requirement of about 5,000 machines.

Obi said the situation was “completely unacceptable,” stressing the urgent need for greater investment in healthcare across the country.

He commended the organiser of the charity project, Emmanuel Onyeka Okoh, popularly known as Okwuluora, for his humanitarian efforts and support for Nigerians suffering from kidney disease.

The former Anambra State governor said he had assured Okoh of his continued support for the initiative, beginning with an initial donation to assist the kidney patients.

Obi also called on the Federal Government and other levels of government to take greater responsibility for healthcare investment, saying improved healthcare was essential to building a healthier population.