Kidney Patients call for establishment of new renal centres

The Forum for Kidney Patients Association Ghana has called for the establishment of a new renal centre in either Assin Fosu or Dunkwa-on-Offin to reduce pressure on the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital’s dialysis centre and shorten travel distances for patients.

According to the Forum, the dialysis centre at CCTH serves patients from the Central and Western Regions, as well as others from parts of the Ashanti and Eastern Regions.

One of the patients, Gifty Tetteh, a subsistence farmer who has been undergoing dialysis since 2006, told Citi News that travelling from Akim Oda to Cape Coast twice a week for treatment places a significant financial burden on her and her family.

“I always journey from Akim Oda to Cape Coast. It’s a long journey so I usually set off at 4am to reach here by 9. It’s a long journey but we have no such center in Akim Oda. We really need the government’s support. I come for sessions two days every week- Tuesdays and Fridays. I spend GHS 600.00 on transport every week,” she told Citi News.

The increasing number of patients and limited dialysis machines have resulted in the rationing of treatment sessions.

Patients now receive two three-hour sessions each week, instead of three sessions lasting at least four hours each.

Speaking to Citi News, Central Regional President of the Forum and kidney health advocate Thomas Cann appealed for additional dialysis machines to support patients receiving treatment at CCTH.

He has also called for a new renal centre to be established in either Assin Fosu or Dunkwa-on-Offin to shorten the travel distance for some patients.

“We record new cases everyday and unfortunately the machines are not enough, the staff too. The machines too are old,” he added.

Credit: Citi News