The Health Committee of Parliament has condemned the closure of the Renal Unit at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
The unit has been shut for nearly two weeks, with no official explanation given for the closure.
The shutdown has reportedly led to the deaths of three kidney patients, according to Baffour Ahenkorah, the President of the Kidney Patients Association.
Alexander Roosevelt, a member of the Health Committee and MP for Central Tongu, spoke to Citi News about the situation.
He highlighted recent requests from the National Insurance Authority for 2 million cedis to assist kidney patients under 18 and over 60years and noted the allocation of an additional GH¢2 million to cover the bills of renal patients at Korle-Bu Hospital.
“The National Insurance Authority appeared before our committee requesting an amount of GH¢2 million for payment of the bills of under 18 and above 60 people who have these conditions. They also came out boldly a few months or weeks ago emphasising that they had released an amount of GH¢2 million and there was going to be an additional amount of GH¢2 million that would be given to the Korle Bu hospital to settle the bills of people with renal cases.
“I am just surprised that I’m being told that the setup has been closed down mainly because they do not have medical supplies.
“I am just surprised. So does this mean that what the National Health Insurance Authority was telling us was just fiction? Does it mean that they were not telling us the truth? Whilst the presidential candidate of the NPP continues going on promising heaven.
“Is this where Ghana has reached? It’s a very serious situation. It’s something that one cannot fathom and I can understand. How can we joke with the health of our own people?”
