Group advocates liver transplant services in Nigeria

The Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology in Nigeria (SOGHIN) has advocated for liver transplant services in the country, saying the cost of such service is exorbitant abroad.

The SOGHIN President, Prof. Abiodun Otegbayo, made the call in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

Otegbayo, who expressed concern over the lack of liver transplant service in the country, said "liver transplant is performed on people who have severely damaged liver or have developed liver failure."

The SOGHIN president, who said that people suffering from liver problems were usually put on waiting list for donors before a transplant abroad.

He explained that "liver transplant is a surgical procedure to replace failing liver with a healthy one that comes from another person's body."

He, therefore, called for Federal Government's intervention, saying that government should also work toward stopping the exodus of skilled health experts, including gastroenterologists and endoscopy nurses, as well as trainees in the field of hepatology.

Liver is the largest solid organ in the body that performs over 500 vital functions.

Located beneath the rib cage in the right upper abdomen, the liver removes waste products and foreign substances from the bloodstream, regulates blood sugar levels and creates essential body nutrients.