Nigerian music video director, ThankGod Omori, popularly known as TG Omori, has opened up about the financial burden of treating kidney failure, saying even a monthly salary of N1 million may not be enough to sustain dialysis.
Omori spoke during an interview on the Afropolitan podcast published on YouTube on Wednesday, where he recounted his experience with kidney failure and the challenges he faced while awaiting a transplant.
The music video director said dialysis costs between N50,000 and N70,000 per session at some hospitals, while he paid between N150,000 and N200,000 at a private facility.
“I spent a lot on surgery. Dialysis costs ₦70k a day, but at an exclusive place, I sometimes had 3 sessions a week, costing ₦500k. A minimum-wage person wouldn’t cope. I waited a year for a transplant, which cost ₦31m,” Omori said.
He added, “So, a minimum-wage person is dead already on one session.”
Omori estimated that a patient undergoing dialysis for about a year while waiting for a transplant could spend as much as N31 million, excluding additional tests, medication and possible complications.
He also recounted his unsuccessful attempt to receive a kidney from his brother, saying it took nine months to find a donor before doctors discovered that the kidney was incompatible with his body.
“My brother gave me his kidney after it took us 9 months to find a donor. The doctor said my body wasn’t accepting it, that it didn’t match.
“The doctor tried again, but it wasn’t responding. I was pissed, and they said they would have to take me back to see how they could make my body accept it. My brother still has to live with only one kidney,” he said.
Reflecting on the financial demands of treatment, Omori said earning N1 million monthly would still not be enough to cover the cost.
“So, automatically, if your salary is even one million naira a month, it can’t serve you,” he said.
The experience, he added, changed his perspective on money and financial support during serious illness.
“Even though money can’t buy happiness, money can still buy some time,” Omori said.
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