By: Maame Efua Kwaduah
President of the Kidney Patients Association, Kojo Baffour Ahenkorah, has stated that the Korle-Bu Renal Unit has been given until Monday to address their concerns.
He said if there is no response by then, the association will picket the unit.
Mr. Ahenkorah explained that the Korle-Bu Renal Unit has been non-operational for almost two weeks without any communication from authorities.
This he said has left patients in a difficult position, as they cannot afford the high costs of private treatment, leading to increased mortality rates among them.
Speaking in an interview with Happy Kasiebo, Mr. Ahenkorah expressed frustration over the lack of communication and said that, having waited patiently for almost two weeks, they are now turning to the media to voice their concerns.
He announced that they are giving the Korle-Bu Renal Unit until Monday to respond. If they do not hear anything from them, they will picket outside the unit, bringing mattresses, medications, and other essentials to sleep there “for them to know that they have already sentenced them to death”.
Mr. Ahenkorah criticized the recurring nature of this problem, noting that this is the fifth time such incident has happened.
He questioned why the issue remains unresolved and emphasized that patients are paying for the services they receive, yet are still facing these challenges.
In response to whether they are benefiting from the government’s six-month free dialysis program, he stated that while the program was supposed to start on June 1, 2024, he only learned yesterday that its implementation has begun.
However, since the unit has been closed for the past two weeks, it raises concerns about how it could be in effect during this time.
He added that if it is indeed being implemented, it will be apparent once the unit reopens.
