The Health Committee of Parliament has criticized the closure of the Renal Unit at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
The unit has been closed for nearly two weeks, and no reason has been given.
Baffour Ahenkorah, President of the Kidney Patients Association, said that the shutdown has led to the deaths of three kidney patients.
Alexander Roosevelt, a member of the Health Committee and MP for Central Tongu, spoke to Citi News about the situation.
He mentioned recent requests for 2 million cedis from the National Insurance Authority to help kidney patients under 18 and over 60, and said that an extra GH¢2 million has been provided to pay for renal patients’ bills at Korle-Bu Hospital.
“The National Insurance Authority appeared before our committee requesting an amount of GH¢2 million for payment of the bills of under 18 and above 60 people who have these conditions. They also came out boldly a few months or weeks ago emphasising that they had released an amount of GH¢2 million and there was going to be an additional amount of GH¢2 million that would be given to the Korle Bu hospital to settle the bills of people with renal cases.
“I am just surprised that I’m being told that the setup has been closed down mainly because they do not have medical supplies.
“I am just surprised. So does this mean that what the National Health Insurance Authority was telling us was just fiction? Does it mean that they were not telling us the truth? Whilst the presidential candidate of the NPP continues going on promising heaven.
“Is this where Ghana has reached? It’s a very serious situation. It’s something that one cannot fathom and I can understand. How can we joke with the health of our own people?”
