 | |
| Affected Kidney |
THE Christian Council of Ghana (CCG) and the Christian Community of Microfinance Limited (CCML) have launched an advocacy fund to acquire a dialysis machine to cater for kidney patients at the 37 Military Hospital.
Mobile phone texting of “Kidney” to the short code 1962 across all networks has been developed to take effect from January 2012 and it is intended to generate funds in support of the project.
The kidney project, dubbed, “Save a cedi to save a kidney”, is anticipated to build and stock an ultra-modern Renal Centre at the 37 Military Hospital to address the rising incidence of kidney malfunction in society.
The 37 Military Hospital, one of the most patronised health centres in the country, has no kidney unit and so it refers kidney cases to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
According to an urologist at the hospital, Lt Col Sunny Mante, in a month about “40 patients who need dialysis get access to the facilities out of 80 patients. The remaining 40 patients don’t get access, either because of finance or the non-availability of admission facilities”.
That, he said, indicated that the establishment of the Renal Centre at the 37 Military Hospital would go a long way to provide affordable treatment for those who needed that intervention.
At the launch of the kidney project, the General Secretary of the CCG, Rev Dr Fred Deegbe, said the church of God is noted for building schools, hospitals, agricultural stations and other interventions for the benefit of society.
He noted that the kidney project would enable patients suffering from kidney-related illnesses have access to quality care and reduce the pressure on the facilities at Korle-Bu.
Rev Dr Deegbe called on Corporate Ghana to support the 37 Military Hospital to help save lives.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic, Mr Albert Essamuah, the chairman of the CCML board, stated that the CCML was associated with the project to help the poor access health care and be able to manage themselves.
He said if everyone was able to contribute to purchase the dialysis machine, the cost for the treatment of kidney diseases would be affordable.
Chronic kidney disease in Ghana is said to be on the increase, with the Renal Unit of Korle-Bu recording 3,281 cases in 2010.
The figure, according to the Head of the Korle-Bu Renal Unit, Dr Charlotte Osafo, was a 38 per cent increase over that recorded in 2009.
Risk factors for kidney disease are high blood pressure, diabetes, overweight, as well as smoking, excessive alcohol intake, people with a family history of kidney disease, abuse of pain killers, among others.
No comments:
Post a Comment