History was made in Delta State on September 6, when Mount Horeb Hospital and Dialysis Centre, Warri, successfully carried out what has now been confirmed as the first kidney transplant in the state.
Dr. Raphael Onyemekeihia, one of the lead nephrologists, told journalists during a press briefing in Warri, Sunday, that the feat was not a rumor but “an actual fact.”
“Yeah, thank you very much. It’s no longer a rumor and it’s actually a fact that on the 6th of this month, a successful kidney transplant was carried out in this hospital called Mount Horeb Hospital. And it was sponsored by the four nephrologists that I talked about, Dr. Edema Great, Dr. Henry Slater, Dr. Akporaye Akpomiemie, Dr. Jimoh Abdulmalik, Nephrologist Nurse Vero Ebinum and myself. We call this the Warri Transplant Group,” Onyemekeihia said.
He explained that the group was formed to reduce medical tourism and make transplants more accessible to patients in the South-South. “For four nephrologists to come together, it’s unprecedented. Without rancor, we all agreed that we want to take the bull by the horn to make sure that this is doable in our state,” he added.
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According to him, preparations for the procedure began in 2018, with the team understudying kidney transplants in India, Egypt, Umuahia, Abuja, and Lagos. “Since 2018, we have been gathering all the equipment and all the things needed. Now, in this town, we have a four-bedded ICU well-equipped with life support machines, and a twin theatre where the kidney is harvested in one theatre and transplanted in the second almost immediately,” Onyemekeihia said.
He disclosed that the procedure was executed by a team of surgeons from within and outside the state as well as kidney transplant experts from outside the country.
He pointed that one of the advantages of having the procedure at home or close to you is that it help in the easy management of post transplant experiences, adding that, one of the major challenge patients are faced with is the post operation issues, whereby they might not be able to manage unforeseen issues due to distance or funds.
Dr. Edema Great, a nephrologist with Delta State University Teaching Hospital, Oghara, said the project was driven by the need to save more lives locally. “Kidney diseases are a very major problem in our environment. A majority of our patients go outside Delta State to Abuja, Lagos or even India. Financially, it’s stressful. Half of the cost of transplant is spent on logistics, hotels, and travel. So for us, the pain is that we need to get this down for our people, to make it cheaper in the long run,” he explained.
For Dr. Henry Slater of Central Hospital, Warri, the transplant offers patients a new lease of life. “The prevalence of kidney disease is very high in Delta State. Dialysis costs up to ₦35 million a year if done three times weekly. But a kidney transplant takes you from the crucible of dialysis, it’s like a rebirth. Your blood pressure can return to normal, and you live a better quality of life. No Warri, no carry last; at least we are now on the page medically,” he said.
The medical team also noted that the transplant cost in Warri is about ₦8 million cheaper than similar procedures in Abuja. “We are not doing this because we actually need money. We are doing it to give back to the people,” Dr. Onyemekeihia stressed.
The patient, 31-year-old from Olomu, Ughelli South, expressed gratitude to the doctors for giving him a second chance at life. “I feel very happy and I thank the team for their support. I am living a fresh life again,” he said, adding that he began urinating normally the same day the transplant was carried out, a rare medical achievement.
The doctors appealed to the Delta State Government to support the initiative, saying the breakthrough aligns with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s MORE Agenda on quality healthcare delivery.
With this milestone, Warri joins the list of Nigerian cities capable of offering advanced kidney transplant services, significantly reducing the need for patients to travel abroad.
