The Health Committee of Parliament has strongly condemned the sudden closure of the Renal Unit at 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 widespread outrage.
Baffour Ahenkorah, President of the Kidney Patients Association, confirmed that three patients had died due to the closure of the unit. Speaking to Citi News, Alexander Roosevelt, Member of Parliament for Central Tongu and a member of the Health Committee, 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 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, emphasizing that they had released an amount of 2 million Ghana cedis and there was going to be an additional amount of 2 million to be given to Korle Bu hospital to settle the bills of people with renal cases.
“I am just surprised that I’m being told that the unit has been closed down mainly because they do not have medical supplies,” he stated.
Roosevelt questioned the truthfulness of the National Health Insurance Authority’s claims, asking, “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?”
He also criticized the government, adding, “While the presidential candidate of the NPP continues promising heaven, is this where Ghana has reached? It’s a very serious situation. It’s something that one cannot fathom. How can we joke with the health of our own people?”