Three to undergo kidney transplant

Page 41: Daily Graphic, May 11. 2009.
Story: Albert K. Salia
THREE renal patients are expected to undergo kidney transplant operations at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital from today to Friday, May 16, 2009.
This is the second time in the history of the hospital that kidney transplant operation is being undertaken.
The first successful kidney transplant of three patients took place at the hospital in November, last year .
An 11-member team from the Queens Hospital in the United Kingdom, led by Dr Andrew Ready, arrived in the country on Saturday night to begin the operation as part of efforts to build the capacity of health professionals at Korle-Bu to become self-sufficient in manpower and equipment to handle cases on their own.
The team include the internationally acclaimed Ghanaian kidney transplant specialist, Dr Dwomoa Adu.
The trip is being facilitated by Charity Transplant Links of the United Kingdom.
The Public Relations Officer of the hospital, Mr Mustapha Salifu told the Daily Graphic that the three patients in the second batch would be receiving the kidneys from their family members.
He said in the first case, a man would be donating his kidney to his brother, while a sister would also donate to her brother and the third being an aunt donating to her nephew.
He said the surgeries would be performed jointly by the team from UK with the support of personnel from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
Mr Salifu said more than 200 Ghanaians across the country needed kidney transplant, many of whom had had to depend on renal dialysis to survive.
He said a dialysis costs 100 euros per session while kidney patients required three sessions of dialysis a week.
According to him, the cost of a kidney transplant operation in the UK was GH¢100,000 while it ranged between GH¢30,000 and GH¢50,000 in South Africa, saying that those costs excluded transportation, accommodation and feeding of the donor and the recipient as well as accompanying relations.
Mr Salifu said the cost of each transplant being performed at the hospital was $30,000.
“With Ghana being able to undertake this exercise therefore, patients who would have been flown outside for kidney transplant can equally be catered for right here. This would save cost to patients who do not have money whiles generating income to the nation,” he said.
Mr Salifu said the kidney transplant was relatively cheaper than haemodialysis as it reduced the financial and social burden on families and friends.
Moreover, he said, it provided improved quality of life for the beneficiary.
Mr Salifu, therefore, appealed to Ghanaians, philanthropists and organisations to support the National Kidney Foundation by donating generously to keep it running to assist patients.
He expressed the hospital’s gratitude to Dr Jennie Jewitt-Harris, the Head of Charity Transplant Links for facilitating the trip of the medical team.