The new Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, Abia State, Dr. Azubuike Onyebuchi has revealed that the fifth successful kidney transplant performed on a man by the hospital last week, was carried out by Nigerian doctors, in collaboration with a Nigerian Transplant Surgeon, Prof. Sani Usman Alhassan, who came from Kano.

The Medical Director told The Guardian yesterday, that the operation was the first since he assumed office this month, adding that the patient, whose identity he failed to disclose, was doing very well at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The previous four kidney transplants were performed in collaboration with a team from Toledo University Teaching Hospital, Ohio, US, under their extant memorandum of understanding terms, during the tenure of Onyebuchi’s predecessor, Dr. Abali Chukwu, who served two terms of eight years.

Onyebuchi said the hospital is now disposed to using Nigerians to perform kidney transplants to save cost, adding that in this regard, the hospital is building capacity of its doctors and also expanding its facilities, including the ICU, to be in better position to effect kidney transplants and handle other health issues in such a way that would reduce costs and subsidise FMC Umuahia, as the cheapest transplanting hospital in the country.

•Sourced from The Guardian report