A long-time kidney patient, Baffour Kwadwo Ahenkorah, has said the increment in fees for treating dialysis is going to be problematic for him since he cannot afford the new fees.
The man who was diagnosed of dialysis almost a decade ago, sharing his distressing story said his life-sustaining treatments is now at stake due to the new fees implemented by the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
According to him, he had unknowingly lived with hypertension in his school days prior to being diagnosed of dialysis.
Saying he usually felt sleepy and fatigued, a condition he thought was normal, he realised his kidney had failed after falling severely ill in 2015 and had a life-changing diagnosis.
He has had to rely on regular dialysis for survival since.
“I skipped my session due to the price increase. I can’t eat although I am hungry, and it is affecting me a lot because I don’t want to be too heavy. I’ve used all my cash for dialysis, and it is really affecting me. I am nearing my grave and my death,” he cried on Accra-based Adom FM Wednesday, May 15, 2024.
He explained the treatment has rendered him bankrupt since he had to undergo treatment three times a week, draining his finances and that of his family.
“I’ve become a nuisance, and my friends have rejected me,” he said, describing the emotional and financial toll of his condition.
According to Mr. Ahenkorah who earlier spoke with Alfred Ocansey on TV3’s Ghana Tonight Tuesday, May 14, 2024, although they were aware the cost of the treatment had been increased, they were not informed when it was going to be implemented.
The GHC380 which was initially charged has now been increased to GHC491 which according to Mr. Ahenkorah was implemented on Sunday, May 12, 2024.
Like himself, he said some of his colleagues that visited the facility for treatment had to return home since they could not afford the new fees.
Meanwhile, the Renal Patients Association of Ghana has echoed these concerns, warning that the increased fees will exacerbate the financial difficulties already faced by many patients.
According to statistics, nearly 1,300 Ghanaians are on dialysis, and a renal patient requires about 12 sessions of dialysis a month. With the cost of GH₵380 per dialysis increased to GHS491, a patient will need nearly GHS6,000 a month for the full session.
Parliament didn’t approve increment in fees for dialysis treatment – Mintah Akandoh
