International Group Honours Nigerian Nephrologist

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

A Nigeria-based nephrologist, Dr. Olalekan Olatise, has been recognised at an international conference of nephrologists in Oman, where he presented papers on kidney transplantation in the country.

The International Nephrology Conference with the theme, Kidney Across Borders : Collaborating for Better Care, and attended by scores of medical experts and doctors all over the world, was organised by the Oman Society of Nephrology and Transplantation (OSNT). 

Olatise who is renowned for his exceptional contributions in nephrology, in a paper,  titled “Vascular Access,” emphasized its rarity in Nigerian hospitals and advocated for more practitioners to embrace it as an advanced and less painful approach to patient care. 

The founder of Zenith Medical and Kidney Centre, said the hospital under his leadership has successfully practised Vascular Access for two years without a single complication, stating that as a result of this it has been recognized by the International Society of Nephrology (ISN) as a Centre of Excellence in Interventional Nephrology.

He acknowledged that there is still much work to be done to bring Nigerian hospitals on par with their counterparts in developed countries, but saluted the doggedness of his colleagues back home and lauded the impressive pace at which medical practices in Nigeria is evolving.

While co-chairing another panel, he spoke on “Common Medical Complications in Kidney Transplantation : Our Experience”, during which he analysed a notable kidney transplant surgery performed in 2022 on a US-based Nigerian DJ, Jimmy Jatt, who produced a documentary detailing his exceptional treatment throughout the diagnosis, surgery and post-surgery phases. 

Olatise disclosed that the perception of skepticism as expressed by Jimmy Jatt is one of the challenges faced by Nigerian doctors as there is often an assumption of inferior medical practice, stating that another is the difficulty of acquiring the necessary equipment for complex surgeries. 

He said, “These machines are not only expensive but also face logistical hurdles when brought into Nigeria. As a result, the average Nigerian cannot afford some of these medical procedures, leading to preventable deaths.”

On his experience in kidney transplantation in Nigeria, he disclosed that based on ethical considerations, the Centre and its personnel do not interfere in donor-sourcing by transplant patients, noting however that many patients have lamented the unwillingness of family members to donate one of their kidneys to their relatives battling chronic kidney diseases inspite several counselling sessions on the safety of such voluntary life saving act. 

He then advocated for increasing organ donation following death as a potential solution to the shortage of donors for those in need of kidney transplants, stating that a larger pool of willing donors could significantly expedite the process of providing cures to patients. 

Olatise similarly assured of the determination of the Centre to overcome the challenges and continue improving its services to make life better for kidney patients.