Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Opoku Ware Ampomah, has revealed that the facility would require a monthly subsidy of GH₵961,000 to sustain the current charges of dialysis treatment without any further increments.
This follows the public outcry over the recent increase in dialysis treatment costs for renal patients at the hospital.
The discussion surrounding dialysis treatment has gained significant attention in the past week, mainly due to the unsuccessful attempt by the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital to implement a 100% price hike for dialysis treatment.
The hospital attributed the price increase to the removal of tax and import duty exemptions. According to KBTH, if they were to maintain the previous charges, the dialysis facility would face imminent closure in a matter of days.
Speaking on Kidney Health Matters on Joy News on Thursday, October 5, Dr. Ampomah said, “We have a GH₵4 million deficit, and then if we are to run at full capacity, we will need about GH₵961,000 subsidy every month to be able to maintain the current prices because of the numbers that we are doing. We are doing about 2000 dialysis.”
“Either government provides that subsidy or we are allowed some reasonable increase so that’s the kind of discussions we are having.”
He mentions that the facility is also relying on the generosity of individuals and corporate entities in Ghana to share some of the financial burden.
“We are also looking for other Ghanaians because First Sky Group has done tremendously well by providing free dialysis by paying for 250 patients to have two sessions of dialysis every week throughout the year free of charge. So, other individuals and corporate Ghana can also join to ease the burden on the government “he noted.
Based on current research findings, Dr. Kwame Asiedu Sarpong, a pharmacist and Research Fellow at the Center for Democratic Development, CDD-Ghana, estimates that approximately 13% to 17% of Ghana’s population, translating to roughly 4 million to 5.2 million citizens, are experiencing some form of renal function impairment.
Researchers suggest that within this segment of the population, about 15,000 to 19,500 individuals should be undergoing dialysis.
However, the available data indicates that only approximately 2,000 people are currently receiving dialysis treatment. This leaves between 13,000 and 17,500 individuals without access to treatment, often resorting to alternative forms of care and seeking renal assistance only when their condition becomes acute. This lack of timely access to treatment significantly affects their quality of life and life expectancy.
Nationwide, there are approximately 300 dialysis machines, with the majority located in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions. Alarmingly, four regions in Ghana do not have a single dialysis machine, forcing citizens in these regions to travel significant distances to seek essential care.
The cost of dialysis in Ghana varies from GH₵300 to GH₵1,000 per session, with a median cost of GH₵400 in government and quasi-government health facilities (ranging from GH₵300 to GH₵600).
On average, patients typically require three sessions per week, amounting to approximately GHC1,200 weekly simply to sustain their lives.
If additional routine medications are necessary, an extra cost of GHC435 per week is incurred, resulting in a weekly expense of GHC1,635 for the patient, assuming they have no underlying conditions such as hypertension or diabetes.
This translates to an annual cost of GH₵85,020 or GH₵7,085 per month to stay alive through dialysis treatment. It is important to note that according to the Ghana Statistical Service, 70% of working Ghanaians earn less than GH₵3,000 per month or GH₵36,000 per year. Consequently, should these workers or their dependents require dialysis, they would need 2.4 times their annual salary just to afford the necessary treatment to stay alive.