The Forum for Kidney Patients Association Ghana has called for a new renal centre in either Assin Fosu or Dunkwa‑on‑Offin to reduce pressure on the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) dialysis unit and shorten travel distances for patients.
According to the Forum, CCTH’s dialysis centre serves patients from the Central and Western Regions, as well as parts of the Ashanti and Eastern Regions. The growing number of patients and the limited number of dialysis machines have forced the hospital to ration treatment, with patients now receiving two three‑hour sessions each week instead of the previous three four‑hour sessions.
Gifty Tetteh, a subsistence farmer who has been on dialysis since 2006, said the twice‑weekly journey from Akim Oda to Cape Coast is a heavy financial burden.
I always journey from Akim Oda to Cape Coast. It’s a long journey so I usually set off at 4am to reach here by 9. It’s a long journey but we have no such center in Akim Oda. We really need the government’s support. I come for sessions two days every week- Tuesdays and Fridays. I spend GHS 600.00 on transport every week,she told reporters.
Thomas Cann, Central Regional President of the Forum and kidney health advocate, appealed for additional dialysis machines and staff to support patients at CCTH. He added that new cases are recorded daily, the machines are old, and the staff are stretched thin.
The Forum’s request comes as the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital struggles to meet the growing demand for dialysis services. A new renal centre in either Assin Fosu or Dunkwa‑on‑Offin would bring treatment closer to many patients and help alleviate the current strain on CCTH’s facilities.
Health authorities have not yet confirmed a timeline for the proposed centre, but the Forum remains hopeful that government support will materialise soon.
