KATH Needs 25 Dialysis Machines To Adequately Attend To Renal Cases – CEO Reveals

Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah, KATH CEO

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO)of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Professor Otchere Addai-Mensah says his outfit can only attend to the increasing number of renal cases adequately if it is able to secure about 25 new dialysis machines.

These new machines when secured, he noted would be fixed at its renovated Old Dialysis Center so it can attend to increasing cases it has on its hands.

Addressing the hospital’s mid-year performance review conference in Kumasi on Monday, the CEO among other things said the dialysis centre was now recording over 300 sessions per month at the moment.

“This number has been a result of securing repairing its two dialysis machines and the acquisition of three brand new ones at a cost of 1.6 million cedis from the use of internally generated funds (IGF) as well as the supply of two refurbished ones from Springfield Group”, the CEO intimated.

Previously, the CEO noted that only 80 sessions per month was being recorded due to the one and “half” machines KATH had to attend to cases.

Urgency of the Matter:
The CEO said at the moment the demand was so high that the engineers at the dialysis centre are not able to service the machines as expected because they are constantly under use.

He noted though two new and three refurbished machines were expected to be donated by the Ghana Airport Company and the Springfield Group respectively, KATH however was in dire need of additional machines to fully meet the needs of patients.

Prof Addai-Mensah therefore called for support from government as well as other public spirited persons to help KATH stock its dialysis centre with at least 25 new ones.

“The hospital is in dire need of additional dialysis machines to meet the needs of patients hence the need for the government and the public to support”, The CEO appealed.

Significant Progress:
Despite the challenges at KATH, the CEO said the hospital had commenced projects to enhance the delivery of quality specialist clinical care to the public.

Prof Addai-Mensah said work on the comprehensive renovation of the hospital’s Physiotherapy Center and Laundry were successfully completed at a cost of over 1.6 million and million cedis respectively.

He said the renovation of the old dialysis center and the main theater as well as the establishment of a new 24 hour laboratory at the Family Medicine block and Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) Center reached advanced stages of completion.

“The establishment of a 24 hour laboratory center is to ensure round the clock provision of quality laboratory services while the ART Centre would provide cutting-edge fertility treatments to the general public upon completion”, Prof Addai-Mensah stressed.

Source: Ghanaian Observer/Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, Kumasi.