Ghanas top hospital, Korle- Bu Teaching Hospital in Accra, has successfully performed the first kidney transplant in the country, local press reported Tuesday. The surgery was performed jointly by a team of medical doctors from Queens Hospital in the United Kingdom and Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Monday. Mustapha Ahmed, Public Relations Officer of the hospital, said three renal patients would have their kidneys transplanted within the week. Ahmed said each operation would have cost 30,000 Ghanaian cedis (about US $31,000) but the Ghana Kidney Foundation will assist each patient by footing the bill. Relatives are also contributing massively in the kidney transplant. The first donation was done by a sister to a brother, the second by a father to a son and the third by a wife to a husband, he explained. Kidney problems are on the increase and the four kidney centres currently in the country are said to be inadequate to cater for the increasing number of people suffering from kidney-related problems.
