An assistant professor of medicine, nephrology, and critical care at the University of Virginia, Dr. Korshie Dumor, has proposed that Ghana undertake peritoneal dialysis, the other option besides hemodialysis, which is currently done in the country.
This follows recent conversations about the yet-to-be-approved cost of renal dialysis, as well as calls for the National Health Insurance to cover the cost.
According to Dr. Dumor, this was necessary because peritoneal dialysis, which is usually done at home, was cheaper than hemodialysis, which is done at the hospital.
Peritoneal dialysis is a way to remove waste products from the blood when the kidneys can no longer adequately do the job.
This procedure filters the blood in a different way than the more common blood-filtering procedure called hemodialysis.
Dr. Dumor said that for that reason, the International Society of Nephrology has suggested that pursuing peritoneal dialysis as a means of treatment will lower the overall cost for our patient population.
He added that “expertise is the biggest issue and a desire to make it happen. If we as a country feel that this is important for us to do we can make it happen… I am 100 percent sure that it is cheaper than hemodialysis.”
