Bagbin, SHEILD commission GH¢4m expanded dialysis unit in Wa

Ghana's Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, inaugurated an expanded dialysis unit at the Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa, alongside a coalition of health organizations and development partners. The GH¢4 million facility, unveiled in partnership with Sustainable Health Education and Interventions Limited (SHEILD), the Upper West Parliamentary Caucus, the Ministry of Health, and the Ghana Health Service, will provide dialysis services to patients from multiple northern regions, including Wa, the Upper West, Upper East, Savannah, North East, and Bono.

The expansion brought six new dialysis machines, additional equipment, and staff training. Before the facility's launch, kidney patients in northern Ghana had to travel to Accra or Kumasi, incurring high transportation costs and lengthy waits for treatment. In his address, Bagbin emphasized the importance of healthcare equity, stating that the facility would enable patients to receive care "without being disadvantaged by geography."

He noted that chronic kidney disease affected over 674 million people globally and claimed more than 4,000 lives annually in Ghana. The Minister of Health, Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, highlighted the project's alignment with the government's efforts to decentralize specialized healthcare services. The expanded dialysis unit, according to SHEILD's Board Director, Dr Sylvie Anie, symbolizes hope for patients and families who have long struggled to access specialized kidney care.

The project illustrates the value of collaboration in building a resilient health system, stated Dr John Nkrumah Mills and Dr Philip K. K. Baabiineh, both board directors of SHEILD and specialists in their respective fields.