6th November 2023 3:38:29 PM
2 mins readThe Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) is grappling with a critical issue of inadequate dialysis machines, which severely hampers the renal unit's ability to function at full capacity. The primary cause of this problem has been the persistent breakdown of these machines over the years, leaving the entire facility with just two operational dialysis machines.
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As the renal unit undergoes renovation at present, it can only accommodate a limited number of acute kidney cases. Consequently, numerous patients are being redirected to other peripheral medical facilities in the Ashanti region.
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This situation is distressing for the attending doctors, as many patients return from these external facilities with unexplained complications that could have been avoided if KATH were operating at its full capacity.
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A consultant Nephrologist at the hospital, Dr. Elliot Koranteng Tannor, urgently appealed to the authorities to address the critical issues confronting the renal unit.
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“We have actually had challenges that had span so many years, but we are currently working at improving the number of units and as I speak, work is ongoing. So we hope that there will be light at the end of the tunnel, so there are better days ahead. Before, it was a bit tough because all we had were two machines for a hospital with a capacity of 1200 and so what it meant was that you would only be given the opportunity when you were on admission,” he added.
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Dr. Tannor also emphasizes another pressing concern. He urged relevant stakeholders to address the issue of a significant exodus of health professionals, particularly specialists in the field, from the country.
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“The other significant issue is the workforce, and the few specialists we have trained are leaving. This is a major concern because even if we obtain twenty machines, there will not be a workforce to operate them. Therefore, we must also address the workforce shortage.”
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