Lagos authorities say eight dialysis machines are operating — Premium Times Nigeria

In Nigeria, the Lagos State government has denied claims that only one machine is operating at the dialysis centre of Alimosho Hospital in Igando. The state Commissioner for Health, Akin Abayomi, said that all eight machines available at the centre are functioning, Premium Times Nigeria reports.

Position of the state authorities

According to Abayomi, six machines are intended for regular patients, while two others are used for people living with HIV or hepatitis. This arrangement, he said, complies with infection prevention and control measures.

The commissioner also said that dialysis sessions begin at 6:00 a.m. and continue until the last patient is seen, sometimes until midnight. The centre performs up to 200 procedures per month and has a backup generator, he added.

Abayomi also named other public medical facilities in Lagos where dialysis services are available: the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos and Gbagada General Hospitals, the Infectious Disease Hospital in Yaba, and the Federal Medical Centre in Ebute-Metta.

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Where the claims came from

The authorities' response was prompted by a video by Nigerian sketch comedian and influencer Akewusola Oladipupo, known as MC Always, published on Facebook and Instagram on September 17. He claimed that the dialysis centre was in a state of neglect and that only one machine was operating there.

Oladipupo also claimed that the hospital's generator operates from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., although one dialysis session lasts at least four hours. According to him, the centre was not accepting new patients and was serving only those who had already been receiving treatment there.

After his wife died of stage four cancer, Oladipupo has spoken publicly about difficulties in accessing medical care in Nigeria, the condition of equipment, and the financial burden on patients and their families.