Before the close of the year, there is an almost certain likelihood that the dialysis center at the Upper East Regional Hospital will be operational. This is according to Dr. Emmanuel Akatibo, the lead advocate for the establishment of the dialysis center.
Dr. Akatibo made these comments when he spoke to A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on Monday, December 11, 2023.
According to Dr. Akatibo, three dialysis machines have been procured and transported to the region. One of the three machines was donated by the Asaase Foundation, while the other two were procured using funds raised through crowdfunding. Consumables, Dr. Akatibo said, would be procured before the close of the week.
Currently, slight construction and alteration work is being done on the building expected to house the centre; the delay is the only reason the team is unable to decide exactly when the launch of the facility will be.
“These are the only small things that are holding us. Because the building is an old one, cracking the wall is quite difficult. These are things that are delaying us,” he said.
Meanwhile, doctors and nurses expected to man the facility have been fully trained and are on standby.
“Training for the nurses and doctors is completed. The machines are also already in. One was donated by the Asaase Foundation, and two were bought with the funds raised. Earlier on, there was this commitment from the Sankofa Foundation to get us two or three of the machines, but at the last minute, things fell apart, and we couldn’t get that from them. But we are still in touch with them, hoping we can get one or two from them to add to what we have. Approval has been given to us to buy consumables, which we will be doing during the course of the week. The minor works are still ongoing, so we are just waiting to get a clear picture of when they will finish so we can set a date for the launch,” he said.
While the current number of machines does not meet the initial expectation, the facility will be launched. Dr. Akatibo explained that proceeds from the facility would go towards procuring more machines. Additionally, all other donations that would be collected would go towards expanding the facility.
While it is unclear the exact number of patients who will need the facility in the Upper East Region, Dr. Akatibo is convinced that the current number would serve the initial purpose.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
