The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, has donated a Tissue Typing and Cross Matching Laboratory equipment to Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, AKTH, Kano State, worth N230 million.
Speaking at the commissioning of the equipment, held at the AKTH in Kano on Friday, the NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari said the machines would help the hospital further grow and reduce mortality associated with kidney and liver diseases in the country.
Mr Kyari, represented by a Director in the NNPC, Abubakar Nuhu, said the equipment is the first of its kind in the Sub-Sahara African region, adding that the medical facility would also serve as a revenue drive for the hospital.
According to him, the equipment would go a long way in reducing attendant inconveniences of transportation of blood specimen to India and Egypt for examination, thereby saving cost and time for the test.
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He thanked the contractors for meeting the deadline in procurement and installation of the equipment by January 31.
Mr Kyari, however, urged the hospital’s management to diligently maintain the machines to last long.
In his remarks, the Chief Medical Director of AKTH, Prof. Abdulrahman Sheshe said the hospital had recorded 57 successful of kidney transplant, carried out by its own team of specialists without any foreign assistance, adding that it is the highest in all public medical institutions in Nigeria.
“The renal transplant program has initially started through aid and collaboration. This has since been indigenized. A total of 57 successful transplant of the kidney were done by our own team of specialists without any foreign or external assistance.
“This is the highest number of renal transplant in any public health institution in Nigeria. We indeed are proud of these achievements, we are indeed proud of these transplant team” the Director stated.
He also said the AKTH had received referrals on cases related to the kidney from within and outside Nigeria such that it had treated 465,498 in 2019 alone.
He said: “A total number of 465,498 patients were treated last year. Majority were referrals from within Kano and neighbouring Jigawa, Bauchi, Katsina and Kaduna. A few were from foreign countries of of Republic of Niger, China and India.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the function of the laboratory is to support the Renal Transplant Program of the hospital, as the medical facility is now making name in kidney transplant.
