The Renal Patients Association of Ghana (RPAG), a leading advocacy group for affordable kidney care, has revealed that only two health facilities in Accra are currently implementing the government’s free dialysis initiative.
According to RPAG President Baffour Kojo Ahenkorah, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital and the Islamic Hospital are the sole providers of the program in the capital.
This limited availability is reportedly putting “undue pressure” on these institutions and their resources.
Parliamentary Approval of Ghana Medical Trust Fund
Mr. Ahenkorah’s comments follow Parliament’s approval of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund (Mahama Cares) on Tuesday, February 10, 2026. Parliament approved a budget of GH₵2.9 billion for the Fund to support patients battling chronic and non-communicable diseases.
The Fund is mandated to mobilise resources for specialised medical care while overseeing the procurement of essential medical equipment and the development of healthcare infrastructure.
Additionally, it focuses on strengthening the medical workforce through human resource training, specialist education, and vital medical research.
While acknowledging the Fund’s noble objectives, Mr. Ahenkorah urged the government to prioritise the procurement of new dialysis machines for existing facilities.
He noted that despite dialysis being the most accessible treatment for renal patients, the lack of equipment often leads to long, life-threatening queues.
“What we expected the Fund to do is to mobilize resources and purchase more dialysis machines for Korle-Bu, Cape Coast, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, and other health facilities,” Ahenkorah stated. “There is a need to also establish more dialysis centers to ease the pressure on the Teaching Hospitals.”
He highlighted the disparity in care across the city, noting that major institutions like the 37 Military Hospital, Police Hospital, Bank Hospital, and Ridge Hospital are not currently offering free dialysis treatment.
“The machines available at Korle-Bu are not enough and not able to sustain the pressure they encounter, but they are doing their best. It is not everyone who can afford a transplant, and so we can only depend on dialysis. We are appealing to the Fund to invest in more dialysis centers and provide more machines for the existing facilities… In Accra, it is only Korle-Bu and Islamic Hospitals doing it.”
The Association argues that investing in dialysis infrastructure is more prudent than focusing solely on individual grants for transplants.
Mr. Ahenkorah pointed out that with the cheapest transplant costing approximately $30,000, it is impossible for the Fund to sponsor every patient for surgery.
He appealed to the Trust Fund to prioritise equipment and center expansion to ensure that the Mahama Cares initiative benefits the many, rather than a select few.
By: Rashid Obodai Provencal/Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
