178 Children Die From Kidney Disease In Kumasi
A Paediatric Nephrology Unit at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Dr. Animah Sarfo has disclosed that, 178 children have succumbed to the end stage kidney disease failure from 2014 up to date.
She said that 25 patients die from the end stage kidney disease averagely.
She made this known during the launching of the Association of Parents of Children with Kidney Disease in Kumasi which was captured by Nana Owusu Achiaw on 25/06/2021.
Dr. Animah Sarfo said that the Association has been established to solicit for funds to subsidize the cost of dialysis and kidney transplant for the children.
Giving a brief history about the Paediatric Nephrology Unit at KATH, she said that the Unit is a specialized Unit that treat children with kidney disease from birth to 14 years.
She revealed that, it was established in 2005 and was strengthened in 2009 after one of their colleagues returned from a Nephrology training in South Africa.
“The Unit currently has 3 doctors and 9 nurses. 150 children are admitted averagely each year,”he said.
According to Dr. Sarfo, since 2012, about 230 children with acute kidney diseases have benefited from the acute dialysis.
The Paediatric Nephrologist explained that, dialysis is a form of treatment that uses machine to perform the function of the kidney, if the kidney fails to perform its function in the human body.
She said that, the dialysis treatment is for a few days and it is for life saving.
Dr. Animah Sarfo bemoaned that, in 2014, the Unit had a worried trend when children between 2 to 14 years suffered with the end stage disease.
“If a child gets the end stage, it means the kidney is not able to perform its function and will lead to death of the child,”
According to her, medical scientists have solution to the end stage kidney failure which can keep the patients alive on long-term dialysis.
But she lamented that, parents of the children cannot afford the cost.
“You have to undergo three sessions per week and the cost of each session is ¢750. Kidney transplant alone cost $50,000,”
Professor Sampson Antwi, Head of the Child Health Department and the Consultant Paediatric Nephrology told Nana Owusu Achiaw that, when the children get the end stage disease, they cannot survive so they are pleading with the public to support them with money.
He disclosed that, “we took a bold step to establish this Association because most of the children when they get the end stage, they will need the dialysis but their parents cannot afford the cost and we also cannot watch them die.
By Nana Owusu Achiaw