The Executive Chairman of waste management company, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, has donated an amount of GH¢ 60,000 to the National Kidney Foundation at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.
‘’This fund will go to support patients under 20 years who cannot afford dialysis since we cannot allow our future leaders to die,’’ he said.
With the increase in kidney diseases in the country and the expensive nature of renal dialysis treatment, Dr Agyepong decided to celebrate his birthday with kidney patients at the Cardiovascular Unit and Renal Dialysis Unit of the hospital.
The cost involved in treating kidney cases is worrying, compelling some patients to opt for death since they cannot afford it.
A chronic kidney patient needs about GH¢1,000 weekly for three sessions of dialysis at the hospital to survive.
Dr Agyepong, who was accompanied by his wife and management and other staff members of Zoomlion, visited the Cardiovascular and Renal Dialysis Units of the hospital.
He expressed satisfaction at the commitment of the staff of the units towards heart and kidney health in the country and urged them to not relent their efforts.
He also commended the staff of the hospital for working under difficult conditions as compared to their counterparts in developing countries.
Dr Agyepong also mentioned that he had been touched by the plight of persons on dialysis treatment as a result of kidney disorders and decided to spend the day with them.
“My team and I came here to support and also study the unit and decide how best we can support in terms of equipment,” Dr Agyepong intimated.
The Head of the Renal Dialysis Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr Charlotte Osafo, expressed gratitude to the executive chairman, management and staff of Zoomlion Ghana Ltd for the donation.
She expressed appreciation that Zoomlion had been actively engaged in the fight against kidney diseases through its sanitation drive.
Dr Osafo explained that most acute kidney disorders translated into chronic cases as a result of poor sanitation and therefore, urged Zoomlion Ghana Ltd to continue with the good work of ensuring a clean, green and healthy Ghana.
She added that the donation would serve as seed money to be invested into kidney treatment in Ghana.
She also appealed to benevolent organisations and individuals to emulate Zoomlion’s gesture.
“Currently, there are no kidney training and transplant centres in the country,” saying “It is ,therefore, imperative to, as a matter of urgency, establish a legal framework to guide kidney transplant and training centres for kidney surgeons every year”.
