Dr Ampomah Opoku Ware, the CEO of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, has called on the parliament to expedite the passage of a bill on organ transplantation, which he said is crucial to saving the lives of many patients who require vital organs.
He said that the demand for organ transplants is very high, especially among renal patients, but the supply of donors is very low. He said that many patients suffer and die while waiting for a suitable organ and that the situation is very sad.
He said that the bill will enable people to donate their organs after death, and will also create a legal framework for organ transplantation. He said that this will help close the gap between supply and demand, and will also ensure ethical and safe practices.
He also disclosed that the Renal Unit at Korle Bu is facing a huge debt of 2 million Ghanaian cedis, due to the low fees they charge for their services. He said that the unit needs more support from the government and other stakeholders to continue its operations.
“It is high time we deliberate on renal issues and how we support them,” he said.
Meanwhile, some renal patients at the Bank Hospital have asked the government to include dialysis treatment in the NHIS, to reduce the financial burden on them. They made this request when the Jospong Group of companies donated 120,000 Ghanaian cedis to support their treatment, as part of a 500,000 cedis fund for three renal hospitals.
The Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Nsiah Asare, said in August 2023 that the Ministry of Health has started the process of drafting a law to regulate organ transplantation. He said that this is a priority for the government, as it is estimated that between 13% and 17% of Ghana’s population have some form of renal impairment, which translates to between 4 million and 5.2 million people.
Source: Kofi Otuo Bekoe
