Free dialysis: Unless you are on admission before you can benefit – Patient’s relative reveals
Latest checks at the Renal Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital reveals a partial opening of the unit.
Sources however say, the facility is only open to persons on admission.
The facility was reported closed for maintenance works on Thursday June 13, after an 80-year-old kidney patient, Victor Sormenah, waited at the facility for his dialysis session over an hour, only to be told the unit had a challenge.
Meanwhile, the hospital authorities, according to the patient’s wife, said there was a shortage in supply of the items needed for the treatment.
Although the National Health Insurance Authority has announced a free dialysis treatment for patients 18 years and below and those above 60 years, some patients have complained of paying over GHC400 for treatment at the facility on Friday June 14.
Aunty Yaa (not her real name) brought her uncle to the facility for treatment on Friday, however she was told to pay a fee before her uncle could receive treatment.
“The information is that unless you’re on admission before you can be given free treatment. So yesterday we went to Abofu and paid about GHC490. But they couldn’t do it, they said there was a problem with the tube. We had to come back here today. So today we came, they corrected the tube and he’s on dialysis now. But we had to pay GHC491”.
For now the fate of kidney disease patients in Accra hangs in the balance with no positive word from the hospital as to when the facility will be fully opened.
