We don't sell sperms - Korle Bu

Chief Executive Officer at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Professor Nii Otu Nettey, has denied a report claiming the hospital is seriously engaged in the sale of sperms to women who are desirous of children.

He said, as it stands, the health facility does not have the mandate and capacity to venture into that business and has further given the assurance to Ghanaians that, “at the moment Korle Bu has no sperm bank to sell sperms or to give out sperms to individuals who need them.”

Prof. Nettey was reacting to a Ghanaian Times report headline “K’Bu sells sperms?” during the newspaper review programme on e.tv Ghana.

According to the Ghanaian Times report, it (the newspaper) had gathered that more than 60 women, including Togolese and Nogerians visit the hospital every month to purchase the sperm for fertilisation.

The paper further gave details of the cost of sperm noting that, “A syringe-sized container of sperm is sold between GHC2000 and GHC3000,” adding that, it had attracted a lot of young men aged between 18 and 45 to the hospital to serve as donors.

It further stated that the activity has been going on for the past five years.

However, Prof Nettey told host of Breakfast TV, Bismark Brown that the authorities were unaware of the development and if there was any proof of evidence, the Ghanaian Times reporter should make it available to the authorities in order for them to investigate the matter.

He explained that before the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital can sell sperms, it has to go through some procedures and acquire a license from Parliament before it can be allowed to transact such business.

He added that, to accept a sperm donation, Korle Bu would have to acquire a refrigeration equipment which can store the sperms at a minus 72 degree temperature.

Prof Nettey reiterated, “I will like more information from who ever got the information so that the authorities will have to look at whatever that individual is doing in Korle Bu because officially, there is no such procedure in Korle Bu. We need the full information so that we can trace whoever is doing it.”