Korle Bu starts work on faulty elevator

Management of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) has given assurances that the faulty elevator at the Surgical Department will be fixed within the next two months to improve the delivery of emergency surgeries.

The commitment follows concerns raised by the Neurological Department over the breakdown of one of its two elevators.

During a visit by Parliament’s Health Committee on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, the Chief Executive of the hospital, Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam, explained that the delay was due to challenges with approvals at the Public Procurement Authority (PPA).

“The procurement has been done. There was some delay with the PPA, but it was finally approved, and we have given it to the vendor. The vendor has also engaged the manufacturer, and we have been assured that within two months, the elevator should be installed and operational. At the moment, only one elevator is working,” Dr. Adam said.

He further appealed to Parliament to expedite the passage of legislation on organ harvesting, stressing that it would significantly reduce the cost of transplants for patients.

“Currently, anyone who needs a kidney transplant must travel to India, America, or the UK, even though we have the expertise here. For cornea transplants, we have to import corneas from America at prices ranging from $3,000 to $4,000. With legislation, we could harvest corneas locally, bringing the cost down to about GHC500 for patients,” he explained.

In related development, Chief Executive of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam, has called on Parliament to expedite the passage of legislation on organ harvesting, arguing that such a move would significantly cut the cost of transplants for patients in Ghana.

Dr. Seidu Adam said the absence of a legal framework compels patients in need of organ transplants to seek treatment abroad, even though Ghana has qualified specialists capable of performing the procedures.

“With our own population, if they need a kidney transplant, they have to travel to India, America, or the UK. We have the expertise here to do the work, if only the legislative approval is given”

“As eye surgeons, we perform cornea transplants, but we cannot get corneas locally. We have to import them from America, where the lowest price is between $3,000 and $4,000. If we had the legislation, we could harvest corneas here, and a patient would not spend more than GH₵500” he stated whiles addressing members of Parliament’s Health Committee during their visit to the hospital.