The Health Committee of Parliament has strongly condemned the sudden closure of the Renal Unit at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, a decision that has tragically led to the deaths of three kidney patients.
The unit was shut down almost two weeks ago without an official explanation, sparking outrage.
The President of the Kidney Patients Association, Baffour Ahenkorah, confirmed that three patients had died due to the closure of the unit.
Member of Parliament for Central Tongu and a member of the Health Committee, Alexander Roosevelt, speaking to Citi News expressed shock and disappointment at the situation.
He recalled that the National Insurance Authority had recently requested 2 million cedis to support kidney patients under 18 years and above 60 years, and had even announced the release of an additional 2 million cedis to settle the bills of renal patients at Korle-Bu Hospital.
“The National Insurance Authority appeared before our committee requesting an amount of 2 million cedis for payment of the bills of under 18 and above 60 people who have these conditions. And they also came out boldly a few months or weeks ago emphasising that they had released an amount of 2 million Ghana cedis and there was going to be an additional amount of 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?”