Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has commissioned an expanded dialysis unit valued at an estimated GH¢4 million at the Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa to improve access to life-saving kidney care in northern Ghana.

The project, undertaken in partnership with Sustainable Health Education and Interventions Limited (SHEILD), the Upper West Parliamentary Caucus, the Ministry of Health, the Ghana Health Service and other partners, adds six new dialysis machines, ancillary equipment and staff training support to strengthen the hospital’s renal care capacity.

The expanded facility is expected to serve patients from the Upper West, Upper East, Savannah, North East and Bono regions, reducing the need for long-distance travel to access dialysis treatment.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Tuesday, Speaker Bagbin described the project as a major step towards improving healthcare equity and ensuring that residents of northern Ghana have access to quality specialist healthcare services.

SHEILD Board Director, Dr. Sylvie Anie, said the expanded unit would provide hope for patients and families by making specialised kidney care more accessible and sustainable.

The Medical Director of the Upper West Regional Hospital, Dr. Philip K. K. Baabiineh, said the facility would significantly improve the hospital’s ability to provide timely and quality renal care while easing the burden on patients and their families.

Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, welcomed the initiative, describing it as complementary to government’s efforts to expand specialist healthcare services and reduce regional disparities in access to treatment.

According to the Parliamentary Service, chronic kidney disease is an increasing public health challenge in Ghana, claiming more than 4,000 lives annually, while fewer than 500 dialysis machines currently serve the country’s growing number of patients requiring renal care.