Members of Parliament from both sides of the house have made a passionate appeal to the government to ensure the reopening of the Renal Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

The outpatients department of the unit has been shut for more than 6 months now as a result of lack of funding.

Over 50 kidney patients have reportedly died since the closure of the facility.

The minority through its spokesperson on health Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has been on a crusade to get the unit reopened to the public for some time now.

In a statement in Parliament Thursday, the Juaboso MP prayed on the 2nd deputy speaker Andrew Asiamah to summon the sector minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu over the matter.

“It is imperative that the renal unit outpatient department is promptly opened and the approved GHC380 is reinstated.

“Mr. Speaker, therefore call on this house with your guidance to call the Minister responsible for health to come to this house and clarify why the outpatient department of the renal unit of Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital remain closed and what measures are put in place to ensure that the facility is reopened as soon as possible,” Mr. Akandoh stated.

“Mr. Speaker, I plead with this house to rally behind me in calling on the government to consider absolving the full cost of dialysis for Ghanaians patients or at the very least absolve whatever the difference is beyond GHC380. This will help alleviate the financial stress on patients,” he added.   

Majority chief whip Frank Annoh-Dompreh supported the prayer to get the sector minister to brief the house over the development as well as measures to cushion patients on dialysis

The 2nd deputy speaker consequently directed the health minister to brief parliament about the development next week Thursday.

Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM