The Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) is pleading with Parliament to approve the facility’s fees—dialysis in particular—as soon as possible.
As per the facility, the old fees for dialysis treatment have resulted in about GH¢2 million of debt to date. The management of the KBTH stated that the high cost of dialysis supplies was the reason behind the renal unit’s closure to outpatient services in May 2023.
Patients were compelled as a result to look for dialysis services elsewhere, mostly in private clinics or hospitals. On September 27, the facility was partially reopened and it was announced that the cost of a dialysis session would increase from GH¢380 to GHS¢765.42.
However this increase was revoked in response to public outcry, and the unit continued to be closed to outpatients. The hospital’s renal unit reopened for patients in November 2023 following the government’s GH¢4 million debt repayment.
Only a few months after the facility was reopened, though, its managers claim they are still racking up a ton of debt, which could eventually have an impact on their dialysis services.
Dr. Frank Owusu Sekyere, the Director of Medical Affairs at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, provided additional insight into their situation when he revealed to Selorm Adonoo, the sit-in host of Eyewitness News on Citi FM, that the hospital’s renal unit performs about 2000 dialysis sessions per month.
Dr. Sekyere underlined that the unit’s mounting debt is partly attributable to the high number of dialysis sessions. “We do about 2000 dialysis sessions in a month,” he stated.
“I don’t believe anyone has announced that the facility is closing. We are arguing that under-recovery was one of the factors contributing to the debt accumulation. We are still not fully recovered, even though the government paid GH¢4 million since the facility was reopened. For every completed dialysis session, GH¢380 is paid out of GH¢760. Thus, that is also adding up.
Furthermore, Dr. Sekyere stated to Selorm Adonoo on Eyewitness News that the circumstance emphasizes the difficult balancing act between managing financial constraints and offering necessary medical services.
“We need a concrete plan to sustain the service,” he stated, adding that “service is ongoing [at the renal unit] in part due to donations from several institutions.”
