Ghana’s Tetteh Quarshie Hospital performs maiden dialysis treatment after 63 years

GHANA—The Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital in Mampong has finally begun providing dialysis services to kidney patients after more than six decades of operation.

The hospital, which opened in 1961, reached this historic milestone on January 3, 2026, when a team of renal specialists performed its first-ever dialysis procedure.

Dr. Christabel Owusu, a specialist in internal medicine, led the 10-member medical team that treated a 47-year-old woman during the groundbreaking session.

Hospital management called the moment both historic and emotional, saying it represents the fulfillment of a vision they’ve held for years—to bring specialized care closer to the people who need it most.

Bridging a critical gap

For kidney patients living in Mampong and across the Eastern Region, this development changes everything.

Until now, anyone suffering from chronic kidney disease or acute renal failure had no choice but to travel to Accra or other major cities for treatment.

These journeys happened multiple times each week, draining families financially while taking a heavy toll physically and emotionally.

The numbers paint a sobering picture of kidney disease in Ghana.

More than 4,000 people die from chronic kidney disease every year, yet the entire country has fewer than 400 dialysis machines.

These machines are spread across only nine of Ghana’s 16 regions, leaving large areas without access to this life-saving treatment.

A partnership that made it possible

The new Dialysis Centre cost GH¢5.8 million (USD387, 000) and came to life through a partnership led by Sustainable Health Education and Interventions (SHEILD), working alongside several other organizations.

Parliament Speaker Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin officially opened the facility in May 2025, marking it as SHEILD’s second dialysis center in the country after establishing one at the Police Hospital in Accra.

Dr. Kofi Ablorh, the hospital’s medical director, expressed deep appreciation for SHEILD and its partners.

He assured patients that the hospital’s management will work tirelessly to maintain and grow the service, bringing renewed hope to families who have struggled with the burden of kidney disease.

Looking ahead

Dr. John Nkrumah Mills, a former president of the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons who now serves as a board director for SHEILD, celebrated the achievement.

He pointed out that the center will particularly benefit patients with acute kidney failure, including women facing pregnancy complications.

Dr. Sylvia J. Anie, another SHEILD board director, praised the corporate sponsors and individual donors who supported the project through what she described as a difficult fundraising journey.

She gave special recognition to traditional leaders from Akuapem, whose unity and determination helped turn the vision into reality.

However, Dr. Anie acknowledged a pressing concern: dialysis treatment remains expensive.

She urged businesses, philanthropists, and compassionate Ghanaians to contribute to an operational fund that would help vulnerable patients afford the care they desperately need.