The Minority caucus of the Health Committee of Parliament is demanding immediate reopening of the renal unit at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra to outpatients.
The facility which offers dialysis treatment to kidney patients has been shut to such patients for more than five months now over lack of funds.
The unit came under a lot of flak for arbitrarily increasing the cost of dialysis by 100 percent. Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu has announced that the government is considering subsidizing dialysis.
But speaking to the media after a closed door engagement with the head of the Renal Unit of Korle Bu, ranking member for the Health Committee in Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh argued that it is unconscionable for the unit to remain closed to patients as a result of lack of funds.
The Juaboso MP charged the government to immediately make funds available to the facility since many are at risk of dying as a result of the move.
“With the dialysis issues at Korle-Bu we think the government is being wicked. The government is being unconscionable and insensitive at this point in time.
“If you recall when the increment came, we tried to meet management, they assured us that yes, they didn’t pass through the due process and therefore it was retracted. We also demanded that the refund be made and they assured that those who have paid on the next visit they will pay the difference,” Mr. Akandoh narrated.
He continued: “We have gone a step further to meet the minister responsible for health to tell him that whatever it takes by the government to make sure that the renal unit of Korle-Bu is open must be done. Again the Minister responsible for health assured us that as soon as possible he was going to let them open the renal unit to OPD.”
Mr. Akandoh however disclosed that unfortunately for the past four to five months the renal unit has not been opened to the OPD.
“We think that as a matter of urgency, whatever it takes, whatever subsidy the Minister was talking about, wherever we can get the resources. We have covid levies, we have monies that have been squandered through covid, we have National Health Insurance and this is an emergency,” the lawmaker added.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
