KATH inaugurates refurbished dialysis centre

Kumasi, Nov. 08, GNA 96 The Management of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi has reactivated its dialysis centre to provide services to patients with kidney problems in the northern sector of the country.

The 80,000 dollars refurbishment was undertaken by a renowned US based Ghanaian haematologist, Dr Mrs Charity Kankam Dr Kankam has also with the support of other philanthropists in the USA, procured and installed three new Fresenius 2008H dialysis machines and provided other needed consumables at the centre.

Two additional machines and consumables are expected to be installed by February 2007.

Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Chief Executive of KATH, inaugurating the centre on Wednesday said the dialysis centre established at the hospital in 2000 had to stop operations due to obsolete equipment and the expensive nature of consumables.

He said the refurbishment and reactivation of the centre would help ease the burden of patients with acute renal failure, in the northern sector of the country who, had to travel to Accra to receive dialysis treatment.

Dr Nsiah-Asare expressed appreciation to Dr Kankam and her group for the assistance and was optimistic they would continue to support the hospital to train the staff and nurses at the centre to equip them with modern techniques in dialysis.

Dr Kankam said she undertook the project when she heard the death of a young Ghanaian woman who had acute renal failure. She pledged to mobilise resources to support operations and training of staff and nurses at the centre.

Professor Baffoe Bonney, a member of the Board of Directors of KATH, was optimistic that the centre would become a training centre on dialysis in the country.