The medical team at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Umuahia, at the weekend, successfully performed two kidney transplants on two patients.
An elated Chief Medical Director of the Centre, Dr Abali Chuku who shared the cheery news, confirmed that the kidneys were harvested in the hospital from two separate donors.
The surgeries and the transplanting were facilitated by a team of medical experts from the University of Toledo Medical Centre, Ohio in the United States of America led by Dr Obi Ekwenna with the support of James Ogbuka Umekwe and in collaboration with FMC doctors.
The Nation was reliably informed that the first transplant was done on a 37-year-old businessman simply known as Mr Oji, a native of Ohafia in Abia State, while donor simply known as Mr Kalu, a 57-year old civil servant.
The second transplant was done on a 68-year old medical doctor and native of Umuahia whose name was given as Dr Charles, while the kidney was harvested from a 41-year old security man who gave his name as Mr. Innocent.
Speaking with The Nation after the operation, Dr Ekwenna confirmed that both the donors and the recipients are doing well at the hospital’s intensive care unit.
Oji and Dr Charles were both full of thanks to the gesture, saying the successful operation has ended their long years of agonies and pains.
Oji also had kind words for the medical team at FMC, saying, “They provided wonderful opportunity for poor people like us without the means to go abroad for transplantation. We also thank God for using the medical team to save our lives.”
Dr Ekwenna, the team leader and surgeon described the surgeries as not only successful and excellent by any standard anywhere in the world, but a thing of joy that they were able to conduct the surgeries with ease.
He attributed the success of the feat to the dedication of the team, the hospital management and its Director Dr Abali Chuku and urged other medical heads across the country to borrow a leaf from the management of FMC Umuahia.
He explained that with the partnership which the FMC Umuahia and the University of Toledo have reached, “My team will work towards transferring skills and return to Nigeria to render more professional assistance including doing more transplantations as soon as possible.”
The Abia FMC boss explained that the hospital will perform 40 kidney transplantations next year 2018 and canvassed collaboration of the public in its bid to have more kidney transplantation.
He disclosed that the FMC under his leadership got involved in kidney transplant in 2015 when he was honoured by the University of Toledo Ohio USA along with others from other countries.
Dr Chuku said that the university is renowned globally for its skill in transplantation, adding that since his desire had always been to bring such medical feat down to this part of the country, “I did not hesitate to take up the challenge when it came my way.”
He said, “This University is globally known for kidney transplant. After my induction into its Hall of Fame, I was asked what I would want the University do for me. And I chose establishing a Kidney Centre at FMC Umuahia.”
