The unit had been closed since April 29, 2025
The Renal Unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has resumed dialysis services for renal disease patients following a nearly two-week shutdown due to a shortage of consumables.
The unit, which provides critical care to nearly 200 patients, has been closed since April 29, 2025, forcing these patients to seek treatment at private facilities, which placed a significant financial burden on them, as they had no access to the unit for their dialysis sessions.
On May 6, 2025 checks at the facility revealed that patients are currently being scheduled and contacted for their sessions.
Patients had been informed about the shortage of consumables, and many had to turn to private facilities for their dialysis treatments, which they reported as being a considerable financial strain.
Now, patients have started receiving calls from the hospital to schedule their dialysis sessions, bringing relief to those who rely on this life-sustaining treatment.
Kojo Baffour Ahenkora, President of the Renal Patients Association, expressed relief at the news.
He confirmed that his members have begun receiving calls to schedule their appointments.
“This morning, we were hanging around to see what the hospital would say, and I got a call from some of my members that they have been called and scheduled for their dialysis sessions today. But we don’t know if it will continue or stop again. We just thank God that in these two weeks, we haven’t had anyone dying,” Ahenkora said.
Despite this progress, he expressed frustration about the recurring issues.
“In fact, personally, I was not expecting to hear some of these things again. Because last year, we had a lot of challenges, and I was hoping the authorities would change. I mean shortage of consumables. Today that, tomorrow this, I mean, when will it end? We don’t know what exactly is going on. Somebody needs to come and talk to us and tell us what is happening. For Christ’s sake, these are human lives,” he added.
The hospital’s management has not made an official statement regarding the situation, but patients are grateful for the resumption of services, according to 3news.com.
The closure of the Renal Unit had significant repercussions for patients, many of whom struggle to afford dialysis at private facilities, with costs ranging from GH¢600 to GH¢1,000 per session, compared to GH¢491 at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
NAD/MA
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