Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital receives GH¢5.8m dialysis center

Sustainable Health Education and Interventions for Lifetime Development (SHEILD), a not-for-profit organisation, together with other partners, has established a GH¢5.8 million kidney dialysis centre at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital in Akuapem-Mampong, Eastern Region.

The centre aims to enhance the management of end-stage renal failure in the region and surrounding areas, where over 300,000 people suffer from chronic kidney disease but face severely limited treatment options.

Partners involved in the project include Enterprise Group PLC, Volta River Authority, National Petroleum Authority, Kalmoni Foundation, Revna Bioscience, and individual sponsors.

The project comprises four advanced dialysis units with a treatment facility equipped with tubing, blood, dialysate and anticoagulant pumps, dialyzers, monitors, and a water purification system. It also includes a newly constructed out-house and waiting area, sponsored by Enterprise Group PLC.

Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Speaker of Parliament, speaking at the commissioning and launch of the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital Dialysis Fund, stressed that everyone must have access to healthcare without suffering financial hardship.

The World Health Organisation estimates that kidney disease affects 1 in 10 people globally, with 2.5 million dying annually due to inadequate access to treatment.

In Ghana, statistics indicate that nearly 14 percent of the population, about 4 million people, suffer from chronic kidney disease.

Bagbin stated, “Only 1 in 10 patients currently access lifesaving dialysis due to cost and distance barriers, and fewer than 20 nephrologists are available across all 16 regions of Ghana, with fewer than 400 dialysis machines serving the entire nation.”

He encouraged hospital staff to promote people-centred care, describing it as the embodiment of human rights in healthcare.

“Discrimination in healthcare is unacceptable and is a major barrier to development,” he added.

The Speaker donated GH¢50,000.00 to the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital Dialysis Fund to support vulnerable and marginalised patients and pledged his continued contributions to the fund.

He congratulated corporate and individual sponsors for their immense support in establishing the facility.

Dr. Sylvia Anie, SHEILD Board Director, reiterated that chronic kidney disease claims over 4,000 lives annually in Ghana, with fewer than 400 dialysis machines serving the entire country.

She emphasised that the project’s success would not have been possible without the support of key stakeholders, including the private sector.

“Social responsibility is evident, and it helped us achieve these results,” she said.

Dr. Anie stated that the organisation’s vision is to promote equity and access to efficient and effective healthcare, expressing the Board’s pride in this indigenous initiative.

Samuel Awuku, Member of Parliament for Akuapem North, expressed delight at the establishment of the dialysis centre, noting that it would play a critical role in kidney care and serve as a major first step for the constituency.

He applauded the efforts of SHEILD, the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital officials, corporate and individual sponsors, as well as traditional leaders and local residents who contributed to making the facility a reality.

The MP also appealed to the public to support the construction of a footbridge linking the hospital to the opposite side of the road, citing numerous pedestrian accidents in front of the hospital.