The cries of renal outpatients at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) appear finally, to receive the needed attention. The centre has started calling patients for lab tests ahead of a possible reopening.

JoyNews checks at the centre on November 7, revealed that outpatients have begun trooping in to undertake lab tests.

A patient confirmed receiving a call to take a test at the centre, without which he would not be allowed to undergo dialysis when the centre reopens.

“They [management] did not tell me exactly when the centre will be reopened but I am told from outside sources that it is going to be this week,” he said.

Although there is no official communique from the management of the hospital regarding the exact date the centre would be reopened, the President of the Renal Patients Association, Kojo Bafour Ahenkorah confirmed that the centre will be fully reopened this week.

“This morning I had a call from the unit again confirming that the unit has opened so I should let my people know. They should come and take their requests and do their labs. As you can see one of the guys is here so he can have access to the lab,” he said.

Mr Ahenkorah explained that for everyone to have access to the facility when it fully reopens, each patient can only have one session weekly instead of two.

“We may not have the normal two sessions a week, we may be having one session a week. The reason is that we are many and the machines are small,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Health Minister is expected to appear before parliament on Thursday after concerns were raised by both sides of the house about the dialysis.

• Read also: Dialysis crisis: KBTH’s refusal to open centre a death sentence – Renal Patients Association

The centre was closed five months ago over a GHȼ4 million cedis debt.