For years, the people of Bade Local Government Area in Yobe State have been grappling with a mysterious and deadly kidney disease that has claimed thousands of lives.
Of course, the Yobe State government's efforts to address the menace have been legendary.
The government's provision of free kidney dialysis is a welcome step. Recently, the Chief Medical Director, Yobe State University Teaching Hospital, Damaturu, Dr Baba Goni, said that the Mai Mala Buni administration in Yobe has sponsored over 50,000 free dialysis for patients suffering from renal diseases.
Goni said the Buni administration also set up a dialysis centre in the hospital, to attend to high burden of kidney failure in the state, particularly among communities on the fringes of River Yobe.
The governor, he said, increased the standing payment for haemodialysis by 100 per cent to provide succour to indigent patients.
Goni said the state government was also providing free vascular access operation, a preliminary process for dialysis, which cost between N100, 000 and N150, 000 per session.
This is indeed highly commendable, but the dialysis treatment only serves as a temporary solution, and many patients require ongoing treatment, which can be costly and inaccessible to many.
The government's research into the disease is a positive step and should also be commended. However, the people of Bade LGA are eagerly waiting for the findings from the research to be made public, for them to know the root causes of the disease.
The impact of the disease extends far beyond the individual, with entire communities affected by the loss of loved ones and the economic burden of caring for those affected.
Meanwhile, the disease has also had a significant impact on the local economy, with many families unable to work or engage in productive activities due to the illness.
In conclusion, the Gashua Kidney disease is a crisis that requires serious intervention by the federal government, in addition to what the Yobe State government is doing.
Kasim Isa Muhammad wrote from Damaturu, Yobe State.
