Patients at the Dialysis unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital have expressed concerns over delays in accessing treatment due to the limited number of functional Dialysis machines at the facility.
The shortage of equipment has led to some patients scheduled for two sessions a week going weeks without a single Dialysis service being rendered to them due to the high demand for treatment.
Mahamud Haruna, a renal patient, revealed the stress and tension caused by the delays, which have often resulted in quarrels among patients and their relatives.
Despite being scheduled for dialysis sessions twice a week, Haruna recently experienced a delay of an entire week in receiving treatment due to the overwhelming demand for services.
”Despite being scheduled for dialysis sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays, I am yet to undergo the procedure. This past week my sessions were missed entirely. Despite my reluctance to complain, my nights are plagued by sleeplessness and difficult breathing and even shot walks leave me exhausted.
“However, the availability of the machines and receiving the sessions brings immense relief. Each sessions cost 400 cedis for a dialysis with additional expenses totalling 500 cedis for consumables.”
To alleviate the suffering of these patients, Finance Minister Dr. Mohammed Amin Adam fulfilled his promise by donating three state-of-the-art dialysis machines within barely a month of making the promise to do so.
Dr. Adam emphasized the governments commitment to improving healthcare services for all Ghanaians and made a cash donation of GHc100,000 towards fixing the hospitals underground water reservoir.
The CEO of TTH, Dr. Adam Atiku, expressed hope that the new dialysis machines would help address the growing demand for dialysis services and alleviate the water shortage issue in the coming months.
He highlighted the importance of replenishing and updating the hospitals equipment to ensure optimal healthcare delivery for all patients, particularly with the expansion of the hospital and the arrival of new specialists requiring proper equipment to work effectively.
