By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam, is urging members of Parliament’s Health Committee to expedite the passage of legislation on organ harvesting.
According to him, such legislation would drastically reduce the cost of transplants for patients in Ghana.
The call by the Korle Bu CEO adds to growing pressure on lawmakers to develop a legal framework to regulate organ donation and harvesting in Ghana, a move many health experts believe will improve access to life-saving procedures and lower medical costs for patients.
Dr. Seidu Adam, addressing members of Parliament’s Health Committee during a one-day working visit to his institution on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, explained that the lack of a legal framework forces patients in need of organ transplants to travel abroad, despite the availability of skilled specialists in the country.
“With our own population, if they need a kidney transplant, they have to travel to India, America, or the UK. We have the men here to do the work, if only the legislative approval is given,” he said.
The CEO of Korle Bu further explained that the absence of an organ harvesting law also affects eye surgeries, as the hospital cannot obtain corneas locally.
“We, as eye surgeons, perform cornea transplants, yet we cannot get corneas here. We have to import them from America, where the lowest price is around $3,000 to $4,000. If we have the legislation, we can harvest corneas here, and someone who needs such a transplant will not spend more than GHC500,” Dr. Adam said.
