The Lowdown: GHS boss trumpets importance of organ donation and transplantation laws in Ghana

The Director General of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye is another health giant who has lent his voice to the calls for legislation on organ donation and transplantation in Ghana.

In this week’s edition of The Lowdown, Dr. Kuma Aboagye stresses the need for laws to be passed in Ghana to guide organ donations and transplantations.

According to him, consent is needed from donors before any organ transplantation can take place hence, there should be laws that prevent individuals from killing or forcing out organs from others.

“Currently, we think there are about 91 countries that have legislation that helps in regulating organ transplant and donation. Organ donation can come from a living human being to another one. It could be from a dead person to another. It requires consent. It requires some storage of organs, etc. So, having a regulation around it is extremely important for the person of consent, the quality of care, etc,” he said.

Ghana’s leading digital news platform, GhanaWeb, in conjunction with the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, is embarking on an aggressive campaign geared towards ensuring that parliament passes comprehensive legislation to guide organ harvesting, organ donation, and organ transplantation in the country.

This initiative by GhanaWeb is also a way of enlightening the Ghanaian populace about how organ transplantations can be done in Ghana without having to travel outside the country for it.

That is, aside from a relative who is eligible to donate an organ in Ghana, other donors who are compatible with an individual can also donate an organ to reduce both surgery and flight costs.

Watch the full interview with Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye below to find out more:




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