Thirty-seven people died last year from kidney diseases at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) mainly due to their inability to afford dialysis.

A senior nurse at the Renal Dialysis Unit of the TTH, Mr Awal Issahaku, told the Daily Graphic that the unit also diagnosed 78 patients of kidney diseases but they could not initiate dialysis due to the lack of financial support to pay for the treatment.

However, the unit was able to help 40 patients to recover from kidney-related diseases last year.

Dialysis is the main treatment for kidney-related diseases. It costs between GH¢300 and GH¢350 for a session of dialysis, which has to be performed thrice a week.

Mr Issahaku spoke to the Daily Graphic during a health screening exercise organised by the unit in Tamale last Thursday to commemorate this year's World Kidney Day.

Statistics

He indicated that out of the 2,029 cumulative number of sessions carried out by the unit from January to December last year, 322 persons suffered from chronic kidney diseases while 32 had acute kidney disease.

Regular check-up/congestion

Mr Issahaku explained that there was a high chance of survival for persons suffering from acute kidney diseases as compared to persons suffering from chronic kidney disease.

He, therefore, advised the public to go for regular check-ups for early detection.

He said the unit was the only centre serving the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Savannah and North East regions.

Source: Graphic.com.ghÂ