The new machines, which have their own consumables that can last for a year, will be deployed to the new Urology and Nephrology Centre of Excellence at the hospital and installed for use before the end of the year.

The Head of the Public Relations Office of the hospital, Mustapha Salifu, who disclosed this in an interview with the Daily Graphic yesterday, said the machines were purchased through the initiative of the Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye.

They are meant to improve the hospital’s service delivery and cost efficiency, as well as prevent future shortages.

He said unlike the machines they were presently using which required the ordering of consumables from the manufacturers, the specifications of the new machines allowed them to access their essential consumables from the open market at competitive prices.

Touching on the shutdown of the Renal Dialysis Unit of the hospital a fortnight ago due to the shortage of consumables, Mr Salifu said the hospital had managed to secure a significant quantity of essential consumables for dialysis, which it explained, were being processed for delivery at the Tema Port.

As such, he said, the unit would be open for dialysis for outpatients by tomorrow.  He disclosed that dialysis for inpatients resumed yesterday, with five inpatients being dialysed to by 2p.m.

“The Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Ghana Supply Company are providing vital support to expedite this clearance on an emergency basis to ensure that we continue to deliver top-notch care to our valued patients. We anticipate that the outpatient section of our Dialysis Centre will return to full operations by Wednesday,” Mr Salifu said.

Explaining what led to the shutdown, Mr Salifu said the consumables were expected to be cleared from the port two weeks ago but procedural lapses and documentation issues on the part of the shipping line unfortunately delayed the process.

He said during the period, they had to temporarily shift dialysis operations and refer some of the patients to the National Cardiothoracic Centre of the hospital to minimise disruption and inconvenience to patients.

“We sincerely apologise to our patients and clients for any inconvenience this situation may have caused and wish to express gratitude for their restraint and understanding,” he said.

He extended the gratitude of the hospital to the Minister of Health, the Ministry of Finance and GRA, among others, for helping to overcome the challenge.

Welcome news

Reacting to the news of the reopening of the Renal Dialysis Unit, the President of the Renal Patient Association of Ghana, Baffour Kojo Ahenkorah, said it was welcome news because they did not need to seek the services of private facilities where the cost of treatment was very high.

“The cheapest we get are between GH¢600 to GH¢1,000. Your medication has not come; your injection has not come. So roughly, you need to look for about GH¢1,500 a week if you go to the private facilities. Korle Bu charges GH¢491 per session and that is the cheapest you can get anywhere,” he explained.

Mr Ahenkorah said apart from the cheap cost, the treatment at Korle Bu was quality, explaining that it had a powerful machine, which after passing through, felt like one’s system was working well.

“The kind of services Korle Bu provides some of the private facilities cannot compare with them. That is why when the unit is shut down, we are worried,” he said.

He called on the hospital to find a lasting solution to the problem of shortage of consumables, adding that almost every day somebody had to be dialysed.

Source: Graphic.com.gh

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Those unable to afford such care are left without options, raising serious concerns about the well-being of vulnerable patients.

Baffour Ahenkorah, President of the Kidney Patients Association, informed Joy News that the closure is reportedly due to a shortage of essential consumables.

He is calling on hospital authorities to provide clear communication about when the facility will reopen.

“The dialysis unit was shut down, and this Sunday will mark exactly two weeks. We don’t even know what is happening or why it was closed. No one has informed us, and we are left in the dark. This situation is creating serious problems for us,” Ahenkorah stated.

He emphasized that many patients are struggling to cope with the financial burden of seeking care at private centres. “Because Korle Bu is a government facility, the prices here are relatively moderate—not cheap, but affordable for most of us.

However, private centres are charging between GH₵600 and GH₵1,000 per session. Most of us require two sessions a week, which means we need at least GH₵1,200 weekly. Many simply cannot afford this. We are human beings and deserve to be treated with respect. The fact that we have end-stage kidney failure doesn’t mean we should be neglected. Everyone will face death someday, but the least the hospital can do is to communicate with us. If we know that Korle Bu will be unavailable, at least we can make alternative plans,” he said.

Source: Myjoyonline

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The hospital faced backlash over the unexpected implementation of a 100 percent hike in the cost for dialysis treatment.

The Korle Bu in response said it is only a proposal under discussion.

Based on this backdrop, Head of Public Relations at the Health Ministry, Isaac Ofie, said they will demand the management of Korle Bu to explain why the new fee was introduced without approval from the Ministry or Parliament.

Meanwhile, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah said they will refund monies to those who paid to new fee.

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The apology comes after the hospital reversed an expected implementation of a 100 percent hike in the cost for dialysis treatment, which it now says is only a proposal under discussion.

A section of Ghanaian responded with trepidation and amusement on Tuesday when the PRO of the facility, confirmed cost of treatment needed to go up by the proposed margin or the hospital risked shutting down the unit over the increasing cost of consumables, worsened by increasing import taxes.

The PRO of the hospital confirmed that the price per treatment was increasing from GH¢380 to GH¢765 due to high taxes on consumables and import duties.

The CEO however stated that, the proposal was yet to go through modalities for approval and therefore yet to be implemented.

Speaking on Joy News, Dr. Ampomah indicated that, there will be an internal meeting at the hospital to educate staff on how things are done and the right channels to go through in decision-making so that these administrative lapses are not repeated.

He assured Ghanaians that the proposed price will not be implemented until it goes through the right channels for approval.

Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah admitted that processes were indeed underway to adjust the fees and charges at various units in the facility.

However, no concrete conclusions had been reached before the controversial figures were put out by the Renal Dialysis Unit, he said.

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