There’s hope for patients living with end-stage kidney disease complications in the Ashanti Region and beyond, as a team of specialists and surgeons succeed in a historic journey of performing a kidney transplant in Kumasi.

The momentous event, led by the Kidney Specialist Centre in Kumasi with a team of other local and foreign health professionals, has brought relief to Kofi Gyabeng [not his real name] who before the surgery battled end-stage renal failure for years.

Kofi was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure after both of his kidneys denied him its essential physiological functions.

The sexagenarian’s medical complication began with hypertension, degenerating into a kidney problem and consequently renal failure.

The situation brought untoward financial and psychological strain on him and a few of his family members and friends who knew about his medical condition.

“I was really down several times when I got to the end-stage renal diseases and on dialysis. I used to question myself how many more days, months, weeks or even years more do I have to endure this,” he said worriedly.

He commuted to the Kidney Special Consult in Asokwa three times in a week to spend approximately 4 hours on dialysis daily to filter his blood. The hours expended on what was his life support, coupled with the unpleasant symptoms of the kidney disease, conceived the idea of finding whatever means possible to get a new kidney. 

“Imagine having to spend four hours a session, 3 times a week on dialysis alone. I have to deal with symptoms of kidney diseases such as extreme fatigue, drowsiness, weight loss, and itchy skin”.

The surgery

Overwhelmed by the physical predicaments and pain he endured daily, Mr. Gyabeng consented to having a kidney transplant.

His surgical procedure was the first of kidney transplants to be conducted in the Ashanti region.

A team of 10 medical experts, comprising local and foreign professionals, including urologist, nephrologist, anaesthesiologist, perioperative nurses and other supporting medical staff embarked on the historic operation to bring relief to Mr. Gyabeng.

After close to four (4) hours, his deteriorating kidneys were excised and a fresh matching kidney from his donor was successfully transplanted into his ailing body. 

The HopeXchange Medical Centre located on the fringes of Santasi in Kumasi saw the remarkable and debut surgical procedure under the auspices of the Kidney Specialist Centre.

Mr. Gyabeng’s surgery, although the first in the Ashanti region, adds to the few kidney transplants performed in Ghana – all others were done in the Greater Accra region.

Transplants in Ghana started in 2006 with only four hospitals conducting the operations since its inception.

Kidney disease in Ghana

In Ghana, Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a common health problem with over 13% of prevalence nationwide. Diabetes, hypertension and inflamed glomeruli (the kidney’s filters) are the most common causes of CKD in the country.

With a population of about 31 million, Ghana has 15,400 patients with Kidney failure. The growing population remains a worry for health professionals as many people continue to oblige their sedentary lifestyles affecting their kidney health and consequently bringing about diseases.

Nephrologist, Dr. Elliot Koranteng Tannor explains a significant number of Ghanaians are unaware of having underlying kidney problems.

“Sadly, a majority of the numbers do not even know they have kidney disease because they fail to have regular renal function tests to know the status of their kidneys,” he said.

A 2023 study posits 92% of patients with kidney failure have no access to Kidney replacement therapy. This is primarily due to the availability and affordability of the treatment.

Instituting Kidney Transplant programme

At many dialysis units across the country, patients with renal failure continue to join long queues to take turns on the dialysis machine with hopes of at least getting someone to donate kidneys to them for a transplant.

The Akufo-Addo administration introduced a free dialysis program for kidney patients in Ghana – as it pertains in some countries in sub-Saharan Africa, like Kenya, providing universal coverage for kidney patients.

But there are heightened calls for the establishment of a renal transplant programme and legislation for organ harvesting in Ghana to help alleviate the burden on kidney patients.

Currently, Ghana has no existing legislation to support harvesting organs from deceased persons. This, some experts, surmise seriously threatens its potential to save lives.

While transplants may come at an expensive cost, kidney experts believe the time is right to relook at means to have a local program to save Ghana’s dying population from chronic kidney diseases.

Dr. Elliot is suggesting the establishment of a kidney bank with donors including casualties from mass road carnages.

“That would give us a store of kidneys to use. Instead of telling someone to donate one kidney. When there is a mass accident, we can put measures in place to harvest these kidneys. Or even when people know they are dying from say heart failure, brain dead, and would want to have given out their kidneys, we can harvest and keep them for someone else,” he suggested.

Research suggests a kidney transplanted from a living donor could averagely last 20-25 years while that from a deceased donor lasts 15-20 years.

Although it may be expensive to undergo the surgery, a training program for local kidney doctors and logistical inputs from the government could reduce the cost of traveling outside for the transplant.

This would in turn rekindle optimism in many patients with renal failure.

“If we don’t start from somewhere, we will never end anywhere,” Dr. Tannor said. 

Building local capacity

A little over 15 nephrologists and/or even urologists are currently working in some hospitals in Ghana.

The deficit impacts the health care delivery to patients living with kidney diseases.

Both doctors and patients who experience the daily struggle believe building the capacity and training more specialists in the field could help actualize Ghana’s vision of instituting a kidney transplant centre.

Mr. Gyabeng believes the local centre could slash the cost of traveling overseas for a transplant.

“The government should have stakeholder meetings including the Ghana Academy of Physicians and Surgeons for them to send out teams of surgeons to be trained for kidney transplant. If this is done then over a period of time. Ghana will be able to boast of a team of local surgeons who can do all the transplants, this will help reduce the cost,” he said.

The government has been urged to focus on enhancing the technical education of kidney experts in the country and augmenting logistical support to ensure the smooth implementation of the program.

“The government and policymakers should concentrate on the local expertise. We however need the things to do what we have to do as medical experts. We should be able to get all of these transplants in various cities and towns across Ghana,” Dr. Koranteng Tannor suggested. 

Mr. Gyabeng appealed: “It will be a very welcoming idea if the government can establish a kidney transfer program with the aim of bearing the cost of kidney transplants in Ghana”.

Hope for the future

Mr. Gyabeng can now pass urine through his healthy kidney and no longer suffers symptoms of the kidney disease.

A review of his post-operative status showed a much healthier body.

It is a great deal of relief not having to spend productive hours on the dialysis machine weekly but to joyfully get back to his office and enjoy his job as before.

“I am now feeling very fine after the transplant. The idea of not going through 4-hours of dialysis three times per week is a great relief. I am also free from the symptoms of kidney disease. I have no regrets going through with the transplant despite being expensive,” he said.

At the Kidney Specialist Centre in Asokwa, many patients with kidney failure are being worked up for transplants as others eagerly anticipate a policy and regime to end the jittery about their nearness to the grave.

However, the very first transplant procedure in Kumasi is certainly a step to a promising future of saving lives.