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The Korle Bu Renal Disease Unit’s debt of more than 4 million cedis can now be paid, according to approval from the Ministry of Finance.
The action comes in response to a request for payment from the Health Ministry, which led to the unit’s closure to outpatients for the previous six months.
However, Korle Bu’s management reopened the facility on Wednesday in response to a direction from the Health Minister.
Speaking to Parliament regarding the development today, Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu revealed that the management of Korle Bu and his team are negotiating with FMC, a South African company that supplies the unit with consumables, for flexible payment terms so as to avoid accruing more debt.
The outpatient’s department of the Renal Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital was closed down in May 2023 leading to the death of 19 of the renal patients.
The closure also inconvenienced patients who rely on dialysis services, forcing them to seek treatment elsewhere at a higher cost.
Although the facility has currently been opened, the Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyeman Manu has providing an update on the situation to Parliament.
He also outlined reasons that led to the closure of the facility
The Health Minister also announced that the construction of the 100 bed Urology and Nephrology Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital which is expected to be commissioned by the first quarter of 2024 will help in reducing the dialysis burden on the nation.
Dr. Kwaku Afriyie, the Minister for Environment, Science, and Innovation and the former Health Minister, asked why the Finance Minister was permitted to cap the NHIS money under his administration, which brought about the introduction of the National Health Insurance.
He claims that the development is unethical and morally repugnant.
Dr. Afriyie also requested that labor be forced to pay more for the NHIS in order to solve some of the budget issues.
However, Dr. Sebastian Sandaare, a member of the Health Committee and MP for Daffiama Bussie Issa, characterized the health minister’s remarks as hopeless.
He claimed that the minister did not address the crucial matter of national dialysis treatment funding.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com/Nana Kwaku Boffah
