A combined medical and surgical team at the Korle Bu Teaching (KBTH) in Accra have successfully performed a life-saving kidney transplant procedure on two individuals suffering from end-stage kidney disease.
For the first time since the history of kidney transplantation in the hospital, a higher number of the team were Ghanaians working within the hospital with only two Indian clinicians supporting the procedure.
Speaking at a press briefing to announce the ground-breaking feat, Chief Executive Officer of the KBTH, Dr Opoku Ware Ampomah, said the successful procedure was made possible with support from the First Sky Group (FSG), a wholly Ghanaian holding entity.
The beneficiaries of the surgery, he said responded well and were currently doing well, hoping to be discharged soon.
He stated that the milestone achieved would not be the last, as the hospital would have its next kidney transplant surgery come August, and would continue as long as there were patients who needed such services to be carried out on them in the country.
He said the FSG had been very instrumental in supporting kidney disease patients in the country and currently had more than 250 patients on their free dialysis initiative.
The cost for dialysis of these patients he said was fully paid for as long as they needed it by the company.
"The First Sky Group has saved many lives and continue to do so. They even went to the extent of making it possible for this groundbreaking procedure to happen here in the country.
"The hospital and all beneficiaries of the philanthropic acts of FSG are very grateful to FSG for their efforts at saving lives. Because of you, many kidney patients are alive today while others have received new kidneys. We will continue to cooperate with you in every possible way as we keep this good relationship," he added.
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The CEO urged media practitioners to focus more on increasing awareness about health-related issues and how the public could reduce their risk of contracting certain diseases, by engaging more medical practitioners in their programmes than politicians.
This, Dr Ampomah said, would go a long way in reducing incidences of preventable chronic diseases among the populace as a result of ignorance.
On his part, head of Kidney Unit of the KBTH, Professor Vincent Boima, cautioned the public against unhealthy lifestyles, saying excessive alcohol consumption, the use of aphrodisiacs, abuse of herbal medicines and some over the counter medications could cause chronic kidney diseases.
He also indicated that certain genetic and environmental factors could increase a person's risk of getting the disease.
Some research, he said had also revealed that Africans, Ghanaians and Nigerians especially, had certain genetic mutations that predisposed them to kidney diseases, "therefore having this possibility of getting such a disease alone must make us more cautious."
Group Chairman, Mr Eric Seddy Kutorse, in his remarks assured that his outfit would continue to do its best in supporting kidney disease patients in the country fight the disease.
