The Renal Dialysis unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Ghana is facing a debt of GH₵2 million in treating kidney patients. This comes after the government settled an initial debt of GH₵4 million for the Renal unit just three months ago.
Dr Owusu Sekyere, the Director of Medical Affairs at the KBTH, has attributed this new debt to the fact that renal patients only pay half of the dialysis treatment cost. This leaves the facility to cover the remaining expenses, resulting in the accumulated debt. He emphasized that the cost of Korle Bu Teaching hospital performing one dialysis is well over GH₵720, and patients are currently paying GH₵380, leaving a significant difference that needs to be addressed.
The President of the Renal Patients Association of Ghana, Baafour Kojo Ahenkora, stressed that even with the current charges, some members of the association cannot afford the cost of undergoing dialysis. He expressed concern that if prices are increased, many people might lose their lives due to the inability to afford treatment.
In May 2023, the Renal Unit was shut down due to the removal of tax and excise duty exemption on medical consumables, creating a GH₵4 million cedi debt for the hospital. The centre was subsequently opened in November after engagements with the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu.
Dr Sekyere hopes that the proposed fees for the treatment will be approved by Parliament, providing a more sustainable solution for the accumulated debts and ongoing treatment costs.
