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Health News of Tuesday, 20 August 2024

Source: starrfm.com.gh

Patients’ lives hang in the balance as Korle-Bu dialysis unit remains shut to outpatients

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The Renal Patients Association has expressed frustration and disappointment over the prolonged delay in opening the Korle-bu Dialysis Unit for outpatients.

According to the Association’s President, Mr. Baffour Kojo Ahenkorah, the wait for life-saving dialysis treatment has become an unbearable agony for patients in Ghana.

“The wait for life-saving dialysis treatment has become an unbearable agony for patients in Ghana, as the Korle-bu Dialysis Unit remains shut due to a prolonged delay in clearing crucial consumables at the port,” Mr. Ahenkorah lamented.

Despite repeated promises and assurances, the unit’s doors remain closed, leaving patients to suffer and struggle for survival.

“We were assured that the unit would start operating, but unfortunately, the necessary consumables have not been cleared due to documentation and permit issues,” Mr. Ahenkorah said.

Patients are desperately seeking alternative treatment options, which are scarce and unaffordable.

“We are begging the authorities to intervene and expedite the clearance process to save lives. Patients are calling me every day, asking what they can do. We can’t breathe, we can’t sleep. We are dying,” Mr. Ahenkorah pleaded.

The association is calling on the government to take immediate action to resolve the issue.

“We need the government to take taxes off these hospital essentials so that when they come, they can be cleared quickly to save people’s lives,” Mr. Ahenkorah urged.

As the situation continues to deteriorate, patients and their families are left to wonder if anyone is listening to their cries for help.

“We are coming to picket at the port if we don’t hear anything concrete from them tomorrow. We can’t wait any longer,” Mr. Ahenkorah warned.

As the Renal Patients Association prepares to take to the streets in protest, the nation is left to ponder the true cost of bureaucratic delay. Will the government act swiftly to save the lives of these patients, or will the agony of waiting continue? The clock is ticking, and every moment counts for those relying on the Korle-bu Dialysis Unit.

In the words of Mr. Ahenkorah, “We are not just fighting for our lives, we are fighting for our right to live. We urge the government to act now before it’s too late.”

The fate of these patients hangs in the balance, as they wait with bated breath for a resolution to this life-or-death crisis.