“Accept Early Death As Imminent” Doctors Tell Children Suffering From Kidney Diseases
The head of Child Health Department at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital Professor Sampson Antwi, has revealed that, children who suffer from chronic kidney disease are often counseled to accept early death as imminent since their parents cannot afford the dialysis treatment cost.
He said that, averagely 150 children suffer from the kidney disease annually.
Professor Antwi told Wontumi Communications’ Nana Owusu Achiaw that, 25-40 children out of the 150 children suffer from the chronic kidney disease.
He enumerated that, the types of kidney disease that attack children are the acute and the chronic kidney diseases.
Professor Antwi explained that the acute kidney disease can be treated within three months because it is covered by the National Health Insurance (NHIS).
But, he averred that, the chronic kidney disease which is the most dangerous is not covered by the NHIS.
“If a child gets the chronic which is the end stage, its treatment is dialysis and kidney transplant.”
He said that, the only way children with chronic kidney disease can survive is by putting them on dialysis machine or transplanting their kidney.
“When we put the child on the dialysis machine, he is supposed to come to the hospital thrice a week and the cost of each section is Ghc 300.
He said that Doctors have medicine to fight the kidney problems but the parents of the children cannot afford the cost.
According to the Head of the Department, since the paediatric unit was set up in 2009, its challenge has been a huge number of children who suffer from the kidney disease.
He made a passionate appeal to the government to support children with kidney disease.
“We are appealing to the government to bear the cost of the kidney treatment in children and make budget for such children,” he said.
He emphasized that, ” the kidney children are dying unnecessary and it’s not fair”.
Some of the children who spoke to Nana Owusu Achaw through their parents pleaded with the government for support.
“We are begging the government to come to our aid because our money has been exhausted. We don’t even have money to buy medicines prescribed by the doctor,” they said.
