The funds will be used to support the treatment of renal patients at the Korle Bu Renal Unit, the University of Ghana Dialysis Centre, and the Bank Hospital Renal Unit who are unable to afford dialysis.
Madam Sophia Kudjordji, Chief Corporate Communication Officer of the Jospong Group, said the gift is consistent with the company’s aim of enhancing people’s lives.
“We believe that it’s not just about creating jobs but also ensuring that people are healthy to contribute their quota to the development of the nation,” she emphasized.
She also added that the corporation intends to replicate the gesture at several rural hospitals to assist dialysis treatment in the areas.
Madam Kudjodji requested that the government consider include dialysis therapy in the national insurance programme to lessen the economic burden on patients.
The gift fulfilled the company’s vow made during their 2023 Thanksgiving service to help dialysis patients with GH¢500,000.
Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, CEO of Korle Bu Teaching Hospitals, accepted the check on behalf of the Korle Bu Renal Unit and encouraged parliament to move quickly to approve the proposed dialysis treatment prices.
The CEO stated that the hospital is currently recuperating and charges the previous costs of GH¢365 instead of GH¢780.
“We are currently under recovering upto the tune of GH¢400 per dialysis and we need to find it before it comes back to haunt us,” Dr. Ampomah said.
Dr. Ampomah stated that while they await approval of the additional fees, the hospital is also dependent on the generosity of people and corporate Ghana to cover part of the costs.
Mrs. Lucy Brimpong Ofori-Ayeh, Director of Operations at the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), praised the Jospong Group’s efforts to assist dialysis patients.
She noted that there are a lot of patients who because of their “economic conditions are unable to pay for their treatments, so this is welcome and it will greatly reduce mortality.”
Rita Momo Sika-Nartey, Deputy Director of Nursing Services (DDNS), explained the depth of the situation, pointing out that owing to budgetary constraints, most patients only attend one or two sessions rather than the necessary three.
“If a patient is undergoing just one session of dialysis then it’s better they don’t do it at all, because they’re always sick and can’t even afford their drugs” she lamented.
The Director of Nursing & Midwifery Services-UGMC, Judith Naa Klokor Asiamah, stated that the hospital requires around 16 dialysis machines to function properly. The centre presently has only four dialysis machines.
She thus appealed to the general people to support the facility with dialysis equipment so that they can help the ever-increasing number of patients.
It is estimated that 13% to 17% of Ghana’s population has impaired renal function. This is equivalent to between 4 million and 5.2 million citizens. Researchers estimate that between 15,000 and 19,500 people in this demographic should be on dialysis.
According to the available data, roughly 2,000 individuals are now undergoing dialysis.
This implies that 13,000 to 17,500 persons are without therapy. These patients will frequently seek other types of therapy and only seek renal care when their condition becomes critical. This affects their quality of life and life expectancy.
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