Unijos to Provide Affordable Kidney Transplant to Nigerians

UNIVERSITY OF JOS, JOS NIGERIA

(OFFICE OF THE VICE-CHANCELLOR)

INFORMATION, PUBLICATIONS, PUBLIC RELATIONS & PROTOCOL DIVISION

PRESS RELEASE

UNIJOS SIGNS MOU WITH JUTH TO OPERATE CENTER FOR TRANSPLANT MEDICINE

The University of Jos has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) for the full operationalization of the newly established Center for Transplant Medicine at the University’s College of Health Sciences, located at the Lamingo Campus, JUTH Permanent Site.

Signing the MOU on behalf of the University of Jos, Vice-Chancellor, Professor Tanko Ishaya, explained that the Center is domiciled in JUTH in order to enable members of the public especially citizens in Plateau State, including members of the University Community, benefit from the clinical services being provided by the Center.

According to the Vice-Chancellor, when the University secured intervention from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) to upgrade its Kidney and Urology Center, the University Administration chose to collaborate with JUTH in order to provide the Transplant Medical services that would ease the difficulties faced by Nigerians seeking medical treatment abroad. He disclosed that in the Agreement, the University would procure and provide all the equipment while JUTH provides the structures, municipal services and some manpower to power the equipment.

Professor Ishaya explained that the University intends to partner with JUTH to make the facility one of the Centers of Medical Excellence as far as Organ Transplant in Nigeria is concerned. According to him, problems are better solved through multi-disciplinary approaches, therefore, with the availability of a variety of Specialist Clinicians both in the University and JUTH, most of the medical issues Nigerians are currently experiencing can be locally addressed. The Vice-Chancellor assured that the University will continue to also provide the needed manpower training that will equip its Medical Students with the requisite skills to render quality services to Nigerians and humanity upon graduation.

Professor Ishaya expressed delight that the Center has already commenced operations with Kidney stone procedures carried out on some patients, and commended the Federal Government through TETfund for providing the funds to establish the Center and equally appreciated the JUTH Management for keeping to the terms of the partnership.

On his part, Chief Medical Director, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Pokop Bupwatda said, while the vision of the Center is to provide services that deal with organ harvesting from one human being to another, the Center is also equipped to perform Kidney Transplant. Dr Bupwatda explained that both collaborating institutions are looking beyond just carrying out Kidney Transplants at the Centre, but are rather targeting holistic provision of Transplant Medical services to patients.

According to the CMD, having the Center for Transplant Medicine in JUTH will enable many Nigerians, especially Plateau people receive treatment to address complications caused by organ failure thus saving them from the cost of seeking medical services outside the State or abroad. While assuring that the Centre will operate in a sustainable manner, Dr. Bupwatda said, the two institutions will always synergize and provide the necessary resources to cater for its operational requirements with the essential training carried out periodically for the Clinicians, Urologists, the Nephrologists, Nurses and all other support staff. 

Contributing, newly appointed Acting Director of the Centre, Professor Chima Ofoha expressed confidence that the Center will deliver quality services to the people at very affordable rates, saying the whole idea is to provide specialized medical services to less privileged Nigerians. Professor Ofoha said once a patient is able to identify a Donor and the Donor’s organ matches the patient, the Center will provide the needed treatment. He appreciated both UNIJOS and JUTH Managements for considering him suitable to head the Center, pledging that staff of the Centre will do their best to justify the confidence reposed in them.

Also speaking, Provost, College of Health Sciences, University of Jos, Professor Caleb Mpyet, commended the University Administration for conceiving the idea to collaborate with JUTH towards addressing the burden faced by many Nigerians seeking medical treatment abroad for diseases affecting their organs.

Highpoint of the event was signing of the MOU documents by officials of the two Institutions.

It would be recalled that the University of Jos under the leadership of Professor Tanko Ishaya had earlier secured a One Billion Naira (N1,000,000,000) intervention from TETFund to upgrade the University’s Urology and Tissue Typing Center. The University Administration then made a strategic decision to expand the facility by collaborating with JUTH to establish a Center for Transplant Medicine with a wider scope and mandate.  

Signed

Abdullahi Abdullahi

Senior Deputy Registrar (Information and Publications)