Specialist details financial burden on chronic kidney failure patients

“It is very expensive for the average Ghanaian, even me if I have a kidney failure it would be very difficult for me to sustain dialysis.”

That was the response a Nephrology Fellow at the Renal Dialysis Unit of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Mensah Amoah gave when he was asked about the cost involved in treating kidney diseases in the country.

From the look on his face, he wished he could do more as a health expert to save more people from going through the financial drain that comes with being diagnosed with chronic kidney failure.

Dr Mensah Amoah who has worked at the unit for some years now recounted some of the rather unfortunate experiences he has had with kidney failure patients who undergo dialysis.

He said due to the high costs involved some patients who are required to do dialysis at least three times in a week even go for months without visiting the hospital because they cannot afford the costs involved.

“Those who are self-sponsoring they come as and when they have the money. So some may do one session a week. Sometimes for a whole two weeks, some do not get money to come and they fall very sick and come to the emergency room. So those who are paying out of pocket it is not easy for them, they’re really struggling,” Dr Amoah narrated to the GhanaWeb team.

He added that they have been several instances where patients have been denied access to dialysis and other forms of treatment due to the huge amount of monies they owe.

The cost per session for dialysis for a kidney infection patient is a little over GHC300 which is exclusive of the drugs and injections they are required to take, per usual.

Dr Amoah told GhanaWeb that in cases where patients are diagnosed with chronic kidney failure, the only means of escape is via a kidney transplant or permanent and consistent dialysis.

But unfortunately in Ghana, he said, relatives and friends of affected persons always turn down the idea of a transplant. They claim they cannot take the risk.

So affected patients, who later become financial burdens have to bear the cost of treatment.