Tema-Ghana, March 17, GNA – The number of dialysis machines available for the management of patients in the country is inadequate.
Most regions do not have dialysis centres to cater for patients making some to travel long distances to access care.
Ms Nancy Abedi, a Dialysis Nurse at the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH), cited for instance that it was just until recently that the Volta Region had one centre while the Eastern Region and others did not have any at all.
Ms Abedi stated this at the weekly “Your Health! Our Concern! A Ghana News Agency initiative aimed at promoting communication on health-related issues to influence personal health choices by improving health literacy.
Speaking on the topic: “kidney disease,” she revealed that currently, the Tema area had five Dialysis centres, which were all privately owned.
The IMaH Dialysis Nurse added that due to the cost involved in running the machine, it made dialysis management of patients very expensive.
She said the cost of a session of dialysis was between GHs500.00 and GHC600.00, and a patient needed at least three dialyses in a week to flush out the toxins and extra water from their system since their kidneys were not functioning well to do so on their own.
The dialysis nurse appealed to the government, and health institutions to consider providing at least one dialysis centre in every region to provide the needed care for patients in the area.
Ms Abedi added that there was also the need for subsidies to make it affordable to the vulnerable with the disease.
