More young people contracting hypertension, diabetes, says CEO of UGMC

There is a growing number of young people with hypertension and diabetes in the country, the Chief Executive Officer of the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), Dr Kwame Anim-Boamah, has said.

He said some of the patients were either non-compliant or not on any treatment, making it the number one cause of end-stage renal disease. 

Dr Anim-Boamah, who was speaking to the Daily Graphic in an interview in Accra, attributed the increasing cases to abuse of herbal and over-the-counter medications, among others.

Kidney transplant

In a related development, the UGMC is to perform an additional two kidney transplants this month after successfully performing six similar operations last month. 

The patients who are all Ghanaians, were made up of two men and four females aged between 25 and 54.

The Head of the Urology Department of UGMC, Dr Emmanuel Asante, said the procedures were performed seamlessly, explaining that barriers and challenges were overcome by a determined team who made it possible for the procedures to go on smoothly, showcasing the centre’s capabilities in complex surgical interventions and post-operative care.

In a statement, Dr Anim-Boamah said the successful completion of the first set of six kidney transplants underscored the centre’s commitment to pushing boundaries, achieving medical excellence, and improving the lives of patients through cutting-edge interventions and compassionate care.

He said the UGMC looked forward to continuing its mission of advancing healthcare standards and innovative practices in the field of transplantation.

For her part, the Media Affairs Manager of UGMC, Barbara Owusu-Hemeng, said most of the donors for the first six patients were their close family members or acquaintances.

She said the centre was currently doing only living donor transplants as “we do not currently have a bank for organs”. 

The manager said the average cost of a kidney transplant at the centre was currently $25,000, adding that they were working towards reducing the cost for the average citizen.

The UGMC is an academic medical centre offering world-class patient care, training and research in Ghana, West Africa and beyond.