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Patients who are put on dialysis at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital now have to pay twice as much as they did previously per session, following an upward adjustment of the cost from GH¢380 to GH¢765.
The treatment is meant to remove excess fluid, toxins, and waste products from the blood of individuals suffering from kidney disease.
The hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Mustapha Salifu, speaking to JoyNews said that the increment was necessitated by high taxes and import duties on consumables, making it difficult for the unit to stay afloat.
“The increase is to meet the running cost of the facility. There are a number of items that go into determining the price of it. If we do the real analysis of the cost, you get to about GH¢ 850, but because of certain considerations, that is why we are proposing this GH¢ 765.42 at the moment,” he explained.
Mr. Salifu also disclosed that the hospital since last year stopped benefitting from tax exemptions which made the initial cost of GH¢380 possible.
He added that the hospital would not be able to afford the services offered at the unit and would have to shut it down if they did not make the change.
The new cost of dialysis surfaced during the #OccupyJulorbiHouse protest when one of the demonstrators recounted an ordeal involving the loss of life of a 24-year-old patient who could not afford the expensive treatment.
An image showing the price increment at the hospital also went viral on social media.
The issue has raised concerns among several Ghanaians who worry the situation will only worsen since many patients could not even afford the previous cost.
