4 of the Best Kidney Centres in Nigeria

There are kidney centers in Nigeria that treat and care for people diagnosed with kidney failure.

Every year, there’s an upsurge in the number of Nigerians with renal (kidney) diseases. In 2018, the statistics published by the Nigerian Association of Nephrology (NAN) has it that an alarming 25 million of Nigeria’s population have kidney failure – where the kidney needs dialysis or transplant to perform. This number does not include the teeming population of people living with different stages of kidney disease – acute and chronic kidney disease.

The cost that comes with the management of kidney failure is so grave, and many a patient may not afford the expensive cost that comes with seeking treatment in other countries. This article has put together several centres in Nigeria that have maintained world-class quality standards, consistently recorded a success rate, and offers renal disease management services at an affordable rate.

Top Kidney Centres in Nigeria

Here are some of the best kidney centres in Nigeria:

1. Zenith Medical & Kidney Center

First on our list of the best kidney centres in Nigeria is Zenith Medical & Kidney Centre Abuja.

This facility is known to provide quality and affordable kidney transplant surgery since its inception in 2011. It is located in Abuja and has other affiliations across the country.

Zenith Medical & Center specializes in 

• Hemodialysis and Hemodiafiltration
• Nephrology consult
• Monthly kidney transplant
• Plasmapheresis
• Intensive care unit(ICU)
• Urology surgery & Consult
• Pediatric nephrology services 

And other medical services such as cardiology that may come in handy should there be co-morbidities.

On success rate, they have recorded 375 successful kidney transplantations, including sickle cell nephropathy there in Abuja from May 2015 – January 2020. They attribute this success to measures like ensuring that only related donors are used, performing both recipient and donor surgeries concurrently and their high-quality standard twin theatre.

They also have board-certified consultants nephrologists that provide long-term clinical follow up on post kidney transplant patients, and all the services they render are round the clock. 

2. Kidney Solutions Limited

Situated in the centre of Lagos with expert in-centre and home hemodialysis care, the Kidney solutions LTD is rated one of the best in the Lagos shores.

Their speciality spans across detailed medical support for dialysis patients, including;

• Vascular access 
• Management of complications that may arise during dialysis and also participates in holiday dialysis programs.

Plans are in place to include PERITONEAL DIALYSIS SERVICES to increase FURTHER the options patients with kidney failure have for their care. 

This centre also has a track record of success. As of December 2017, they had had 14 of their dialysis patients successfully have kidney transplants with six and eight in Abuja and India, respectively.

Their first dialysis patient got her transplant in March 2014 and is doing great till now.

While they do not help patients in need of a transplant to source for donors or donor kidneys, they help evaluate to ensure the best possible outcome for both patient and donor.

They also provide necessary post-transplant follow up service and help patients with an issue that pertains to their care and medication.

In two published reviews, a patient likened the services he got to those he received in France and the other countries attesting to a successful transplant and care since 2013.

Kidney Solutions have extended their services to patients beyond the Nigeria borders. It’s on record that patients come from the US, UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Ghana, to mention a few to seek their expert knowledge.

They have established partnerships in Abuja, the US, UK, and India who help with kidney transplantation.

3. St Nicholas Hospital Lagos

This hospital carried out the first kidney transplant ever in the West African sub-region on the 6th of March 2000. And ever since, their fame has spread abroad. 

Here, they offer an entire kidney treatment for patients with renal disease. The clinic treats persons living with CKD, transplant patients, and those that are very close to coming down with kidney failure. They provide on-site hemodialysis service, pre-kidney transfer counselling, and post-surgery follow up for both donor and recipient.

This facility has a 10-bed comfortable and spacious dialysis unit fitted with the best quality of dialysis equipment. There’s also a dialysis unit in the intensive care unit (ICU) for patients in critical condition, and are available every day except on Sunday for dialysis.

Their success rate is as high as 80%. And St. Nicolas Hospital attributes that to the measures in place to avoid organ rejection, ensure the patient is stable before surgery. The facility also blames most recorded failures on the age of the patient. To limit that, they do not perform a transplant on those above 65 years of age.

St. Nicolas Hospital is known to have established a partnership with India, and these partners are mostly present during all the transplant surgeries together with other indigenous doctors. And patients are also assured of continuous post-surgery follow up by board recommended kidney specialists and other relevant members of the healthcare team such as dieticians, nurses, and pharmacists. 

4. University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan

Finally on our list of the best kidney centres in Nigeria is the University College Hospital Ibadan.

Since the performance of the first successful kidney transplant in UCH in 2008, the hospital has gained popularity for achieving more of such feat. A study that carried out in 2017 at the facility featured 26 transplant patients that were receiving care at the cent. Four of the hospital’s transplant operation and were all responding well to treatment.

At this hospital also is the Owena dialysis centre with high- quality facilities, competent staff, and strict measures in place to ensure that patients receive the best hemodialysis experience. Many testify to the quality of service and improved kidney function.

The hospital also offers counselling services and has well-trained dieticians that help tailor these patients’ diets to give them a better quality of life in their condition. Other specialities include the management of AKD and CKD, diabetes and severe hypertension – all these can result in or predispose to end-stage renal diseases or kidney failure that will require dialysis or transplant.

Conclusion

The best kidney centres in Nigeria list doesn’t end with these four; some other Federal and teaching hospitals such as Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) and Parklane Enugu also have renal centres within the hospital. Though many do not perform kidney transplant surgeries, they provide excellent dialysis service and also manage patients with acute and chronic kidney failure, which are predisposing factors to kidney failure.

Kidney centres are not limited to dialysis and transplants alone; people with other kidney conditions that will lead to organ failure if not well managed can also receive treatment at these facilities. That is the sure way to avoid the high cost that comes with transplant and hemodialysis.

Read our piece on the best medical laboratories in Nigeria to know where you can get a CT scan and other tests done.