The exorbitant cost of dialysis treatment has been identified as a major contributor to the high mortality rate among kidney patients at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi.

One out of every three patients seeking medical assistance for kidney-related issues at KATH succumbs to their condition due to the inability to cover the steep expenses associated with continuous dialysis treatment.

Dr. Elliot Koranteng Tannor, a nephrologist at KATH, expressed concern about the alarming rate of premature deaths among kidney patients who cannot afford dialysis treatment.

In an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, Dr. Tannor, a specialist in kidney-related ailments, highlighted the growing cases of kidney failure and the resulting high mortality rates in the country.

He emphasized the urgent need for government intervention to make the cost of treatment more affordable.

Ideally, patients undergoing dialysis should receive treatment three times a week until a transplant becomes feasible. However, due to the high cost of dialysis, many patients can only afford to undergo the procedure twice or even once a week instead of the recommended three times.

Dr. Tannor expressed concern that a proposed increase in the cost of dialysis, such as the one mentioned at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, could further exacerbate the financial burden on patients.

If approved, this increase could render dialysis treatment unaffordable for many patients, potentially leading to more premature deaths.

He stressed that the majority of patients already struggle to cover the existing costs, and any further increases would have disastrous consequences for patients and their families.

“It is really sad to gape at people die on dialysis on daily basis,” he said sadly.