The Adamawa Government on Tuesday confirmed that the victim of kidney theft, Isa Hamman, 23, is still surviving on life support machine at the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital.
Hajia Fatima Atiku, the state Commissioner for Health, confirmed the development in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) in Yola.
NAN recalls that in 2016, a doctor of a private clinic in Jimeta (name withheld), allegedly conducted a surgery on the victim, a herdsman, removing his kidney in he process.
According to Atiku, the patient is stable, but will still have to survive on machine due to the lack of suitable kidney for his body.
“Before he was referred to Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for the kidney transplant, we advised that three of his family members should accompany him to enable a medical test conducted on them.
“This was to enable us see the possibility of getting a suitable kidney among them, for him.
“However, after several tests, the news reaching us at the ministry was that those among the family members had some issues related to their health status,” she said.
When asked to confirm that the patient had been transferred to the Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, as reported by Hamman’s family, Atiku said the ministry was not in the picture.
Meanwhile, a relative to the patient, Malam Umaru, said on phone that his brother had been surviving on machine for the past nine months.
Umaru, a paternal brother to the patient, said that presently, the health condition of his brother was deteriorating.
“As I am talking to you now, we have being transferred again to Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, because the doctors at Aminu Kano University Teaching Hospital are on strike,” said Umaru.
On the issue of getting a suitable kidney from the family members, Umaru confirmed that none was found suitable among the family. (NAN)
AMA/MAS/ASH