By: Franklin ASARE-DONKOH
Management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital closed its outpatient unit of the Renal Centre on May 22, 2023, forcing patients to seek dialysis services elsewhere. The closing down of the renal unit has brought dire consequences to patients who seek these essential services. Reports making the rounds in the media have it that so far, over 14 patients have died due to the non-functioning of the dialysis Renal Centre
To this end, the Renal Patients Association of Ghana has made an urgent appeal to the authorities of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to reopen its renal unit for outpatient services.
The association alleges that the hospital authorities have attributed the closure of the outpatient unit to a shortage of renal consumables and the pending parliamentary approval of the new price.
The spokesperson for the association, Mr. Kojo Ahenkorah, expressed his concerns in an interview with the media about patients being left without options.
“It is still not open to us, they are still doing the inpatients, those on emergencies, and others. This is quite worrying because most of our people are sick. As I am talking to you, the unit is still not open to outpatients. We’ve not heard anything from them.
It was on the radio that we heard that the Korle-Bu Chief Executive Officer (CEO) was saying that the new price was not approved. They need to go to parliament before it will be approved, and they should shut the old price, We are also patients, and we are also sick. Our lives depend on this machine, so why don’t you open to us? We don’t know when they are going to call us to go for our dialysis,” he retorted.
In another development, the Ghana Kidney Association of Ghana has announced that it is engaging with relevant authorities to make dialysis treatment more affordable for all.
The association said it has decided to engage with authorities after noting various concerns raised about the cost of renal treatment.
According to the group, the outcome of these discussions will be made public in due course.