The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has issued a directive to the management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, instructing them to reopen the Renal Dialysis Unit for outpatient services.
The unit had been closed to outpatient services in May 2023 due to the high cost of dialysis consumables. The decision to reopen the unit comes after the Minister’s directive.
The Public Relations Officer of the Ministry of Health, Isaac Baah Ofei, confirmed this directive in an interview with Citi News.
“The Minister has directed the Chief Executive Officer of Korle-Bu to as a matter of urgency, see to the opening of the centre and so he directed as well that while it is opened, Korle-Bu should issue a statement for the general public to know exactly what is going on and when they can get access to the place.”
A partial reopening of the Renal Dialysis Unit occurred on September 27, which was accompanied by an announcement of an increase in dialysis treatment costs per session from GH¢380 to GHS¢765.42.
The Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, is advocating for Parliament to summon the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu, regarding the closure of the outpatient department of the Renal Unit at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
The closure of the unit since May 2023 has led to the deaths of 19 outpatients, attributed to a 4 million Ghana Cedi debt. Akandoh emphasized the need for the government to provide updates on the measures taken to reopen the facility.