The Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has called for divine mercy for individuals publicly attacking him, stating that critics undermine his efforts to drive national development.

In reply to his antagonists, he simply prayed for God to touch and reform them as he delivered a speech as the special guest at the unveiling of the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital Kidney Dialysis Centre at Mampong, Eastern Region, on Friday, May 2.

“Oh God, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing,” he said with a smile. “Sometimes, you hear on TV one of these our communication people attacking me that I am being corrupt. He is not aware that we mobilise these monies to use for the common good and not for ourselves.

He continued, “I don’t treasure money. I treasure human beings, and human beings are built, not houses. I am sure you know the person I am talking about. You would have heard it by now. This is a notice to him. Sometimes, silence is golden. That is why sometimes we remain silent when they are attacking us”.

Commissioning of Tetteh Quarshie Hospital Dialysis Centre

The Speaker of Parliament also unveiled a GH₵5.8m dialysis centre at the event, championed by the Sustainable Health Education and Interventions (SHEILD) NGO.

Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital Dialysis Centre was established in partnership with the hospital management and corporate entities such as Enterprise Group PLC, Volta River Authority (VRA), National Petroleum Authority (NPA), Kalmoni Foundation and Revna Biosciences.

Philanthropists and other individuals also contributed towards the project.

The Right Honourable Speaker highlighted the need for accelerated development in the healthcare sector and called for support to improve the well-being of citizens, ensuring access for all.

“Everyone should have access to the health services they need when and where they need them, without suffering financial hardships and being confident that the healthcare received would be of quality and free from discrimination,” he stated.

“The right to health is essential to me and enshrined in many parts of the constitution of Ghana, particularly the provisions of Chapters 5&6 of the 1992 Constitution”.

Speaker Bagbin, one of the first to offer financial support towards the project, expressed delight that the dialysis centre was ready for the benefit of the people of the Eastern Region.

He also donated GHS 50,000 as seed funds to support the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital Dialysis Fund to support patients in dire need.

Plans for Wa Dialysis Centre

With health at heart, he was optimistic that he could help complete a similar project in Wa, after conceiving the idea several years ago.

“We have more work to do. I know the pressure that is put on me and others when my brothers, sisters, fathers, and mothers have to travel all the way from Upper West to come to Accra to assess this facility. The people accompanying along, the accommodation, the feeding, and the cost of care are beyond many of them. That underscored the reason why I was trying to establish one at Wa,” he revealed.

He revealed partnerships with chronic kidney disease health experts in advanced countries that will improve the sector in Ghana.

“I have contacted some of the managers who ran some of these facilities, and they are ever prepared to support Ghana to fight this canker,” he disclosed.

“They have agreed to have a medical team. They would offer services not only to your facility but also to other facilities throughout the country. We are committed to making this succeed and sustainable and to making this a life-saving centre for generations yet unborn”.

Chronic Kidney Disease Outlook

WHO estimates that globally, kidney disease affects 1 in 10 people, with 2.4 million deaths annually due to inadequate treatment access.

In Ghana, over 4,000 Ghanaians develop end-stage kidney failure annually, yet fewer than 20 nephrologists are available in the entire 16 regions of the country.

Only 1 in 10 patients currently access life-saving dialysis due to cost and distance barriers.

Chronic kidney disease treatment is not cheap, as patients require between GH₵1,200 and GH₵3,000 for three dialysis sessions a week.

Statistics show that nearly 14 per cent of the over 30 million Ghanaians are suffering from chronic kidney disease, and they have to rely on less than 400 dialysis machines serving the entire country.

These machines are centred in nine out of 16 regions, leaving patients to travel far distances to access healthcare.