Nigerian music video director ThankGod Omori, popularly known as TG Omori, has opened up about the huge financial burden of treating kidney failure, saying even earning N1 million monthly may not be enough to sustain a patient undergoing dialysis.
Omori spoke during an interview on the Afropolitan podcast published on YouTube on Wednesday, where he reflected on his experience with kidney failure and the challenges he faced while waiting for a transplant.
The music video director said dialysis can cost between N50,000 and N70,000 per session at some hospitals, while treatment at a private facility cost him significantly more.
“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 stressed the difficulty of meeting such expenses, noting that the cost could quickly become overwhelming for someone earning a low income.
“So, a minimum-wage person is dead already on one session,” he added.
Omori estimated that a patient who undergoes dialysis for about a year while waiting for a transplant could spend as much as N31 million, excluding other expenses such as medical tests, medication and possible complications.
He also recounted the emotional and medical difficulties surrounding his attempted kidney transplant involving his brother.
According to him, it took about nine months to find a donor before doctors discovered that his brother’s kidney was not compatible 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,” he said.
Omori said doctors made another attempt to get his body to accept the kidney, but the procedure was unsuccessful.
“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 managing kidney failure, Omori said even a monthly income of N1 million would not necessarily cover the costs involved.
“So, automatically, if your salary is even one million naira a month, it can’t serve you,” he said.
The experience, he explained, also changed his understanding of money and the role it can play when someone is dealing with a serious illness.
“Even though money can’t buy happiness, money can still buy some time,” Omori said.
