Analyze the following text attentively to answer the questions that follow. Specific sections have been emphasized for your reference.
For families, discovering that their newborn suffers from congenital renal dysplasia is deeply distressing. The situation is exacerbated when local healthcare infrastructure lacks pediatric nephrology services, leaving children without prompt care. Congenital Renal Dysplasia (CRD), which the Global Health Institute (GHI), Geneva, Switzerland, designates as a highly prevalent developmental anomaly, accounts for 28% of all congenital organic conditions and is the cause of 6%-10% of all infant mortality in Nigeria. Specialists assert that early clinical therapy could rescue 75% of these patients, enabling them to lead healthy lives. Without a structured national strategy to address pediatric kidney disorders, a vast number of children are excluded from receiving medical care. Calculations indicate that more than 1,00,000 young patients are continually appended to the current backlog of individuals waiting for specialized renal operations.
Data from the Pediatric Nephrology Association of Nigeria (PNAN) shows that congenital kidney abnormalities occur in one in every 100 live births, meaning approximately 2,00,000 newborns are diagnosed with CRD annually. Of these, a mere 16,000 undergo any form of therapy. Around 30% of babies with severe anomalies need surgical procedures to live past their first year, but only 2,500 such interventions are completed annually. For instance, at the leading National Hospital Abuja (NHA), infants are placed on waiting lists extending until 2026 for corrective urological operations. A former ministry official remarks that pediatric healthcare remains severely underfunded and neglected because establishing specialized child nephrology facilities is deemed financially impractical—it demands heavy capital and facilities development that authorities consistently avoid. Merely 22 clinical institutions and under 50 specialized units exist across Nigeria to provide infant and neonatal renal therapies. Furthermore, these facilities are poorly distributed. A 2018 renal unit study by NHA revealed that the Southern Province possessed 70% of these specialized units, even though most of them are situated in areas where the actual incidence of CRD is lowest.
What is the primary reason for the lack of access to pediatric renal medical services among children?
Correct Answer :
Shortage of national government policy
Solution :
The correct option is Shortage of national government policy.
Step-by-Step Explanation:
1. Analyze the Passage:
The text explicitly states: "Without a structured national strategy to address pediatric kidney disorders, a vast number of children are excluded from receiving medical care."
2. Evaluate the Options:
• Shortage of national government policy: Directly aligns with the text, which highlights the absence of a structured national strategy/policy as the primary factor leaving children excluded from receiving care.
• Other options such as high cost, insufficiency of awareness campaigns, or dearth of qualified healthcare professionals are not specified in the passage as the primary reason for exclusion from medical care.
3. Conclusion:
Therefore, the lack of a structured national strategy or government policy is the main cause behind the limited access to pediatric renal medical services.
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