Accra: The Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra has reopened its Renal Unit to outpatients after a closure that lasted five months. This reopening is in compliance with a directive issued by the Ministry of Health.
According to Ghana News Agency, the decision to resume outpatient services at the Renal Unit follows its closure last May due to partial renovations and a lack of consumables. Initially, when the facility reopened in October 2023, there was significant public and patient backlash over the increased fees for services – from GH380 to GH765.42 – which led to a brief re-closure of the unit. Although the unit was closed for regular outpatient services, it continued to provide intensive care for emergency cases.
The Minister of Health, Mr. Kwaku Agyemang Manu, directed the hospital management to readmit outpatients, leading to the recent reopening. Mr. Baffour Kojo Ahenkra, President of the Renal Patients Association, shared with the Ghana News Agency that the reopening was a significant development for renal patients across the country. He explained that patients are now required to provide laboratory test results before scheduling dialysis, as a precaution against potential infections that may have arisen from treatments at private centers during the closure.
However, the unit faces challenges due to a shortage of dialysis machines and consumables. As a result, outpatients are currently limited to one dialysis session per week, instead of the usual two. Mr. Ahenkra urged the government to supply additional dialysis equipment and reduce taxes on consumables to accommodate the weekly needs of patients.
With the reopening, the unit is expected to experience increased pressure due to the influx of ward, emergency, and outpatient cases. The 15 available machines are not sufficient to meet the high demand, given the large number of patients needing treatment.
Mr. Enock Brako, a renal patient from Kyebi in the Eastern Region, expressed his relief at the reopening of the unit. He shared his experience of undergoing necessary lab tests at the facility, highlighting his preference for receiving treatment at Korle-Bu over outside centers.