Patients with kidney diseases are turning to private hospitals for dialysis after some public hospitals closed their renal units.
Despite higher costs, these patients report better service and treatment at private facilities.
Managing kidney disease often means enduring biweekly dialysis sessions, a demanding regimen exacerbated by current challenges at many public centers.
This has prompted a shift in preferences for many patients.
Kwame (pseudonym), for instance, traveled from Cape Coast to Accra for dialysis due to his local hospital’s closure.
“I came here because we had problem at our unit at Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. There has been a problem of quality-of-service delivery. So, the authority decided to close it down,” he said.
“I can’t put my life at risk, so I prefer the private one to the government sector, even if in Cape Coast they have a private one I will opt for the private one,” he said.
“Coming from Cape Coast to Accra to do this, I have to spent more than GHC1,600. The facility is taking GHC660, T&T in and out. With our condition, we’re always tired and you can’t join the trotro, you will opt for an Uber or private vehicle, so it’s very expensive,” he lamented.
Despite the National Health Insurance Authority’s promise of subsidies for patients like him, the directive remains unimplemented, adding to his challenges.
Private hospitals have seen a surge in patients since issues with public hospital renal units arose.
Freda Mensah, an administrator at Providence Specialist Hospital in Accra, noted an increase in patient numbers despite maintaining their GHC660 fee.
Clearly, patients with kidney diseases need urgent steps from the NHIA to ease their treatment burdens.