First Sky Group Provides Free Medical Treatment For Kidney Patients

An indigenous Ghanaian company, First Sky Group, has made unprecedented benevolent gesture to the health sector, by donating ¢2 billion old Cedi (GH¢2million) to support helpless Ghanaians, suffering from deadly kidney diseases to enable them undergo renal dialysis, free of charge.

The company, led by its compassionate Group Chairman, Mr. Eric Seddy Kutortse, made the donation to the Renal Dialysis Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital on Wednesday.

It is to ensure that, patients can easily visit the Renal Dialysis Unit anytime to receive treatment, without making any payment.

Mr. Eric Seddy Kutortse and his family, also took the responsibility of paying fully, an accumulated debt of over GH¢ 635,000 to the Renal Dialysis Unit, as debts owed by dialysis patients, who could not pay for the highly expensive medical bills.

This generous donation which was made by management and staff of the company at the Renal Dialysis Unit of the hospital in a very humble atmosphere, was an expression of the company’s corporate social responsibility [CSR] – thus giving back to society.

Additionally, the company, has also donated a brand new Toyota Hilux pickup to the Unit. According to the company, the purpose of the pickup donation, is to ensure that the aged and people, who cannot come to the unit for treatment by themselves, could be picked up on time, for treatment – that is made free now.

Briefing journalists after the donation, the businessman and philanthropist, Mr. Seddy Kutortse, stated that his organization’s decision to adopt the unit, came after weighing the lasting impact on the life of a beneficiary of the company’s charity, who was supported with 30 percent of the organization’s net profit.

Mr. Seddy Kutortse said; “Within a few months of making full payments for this gentleman, he bounced back to life and today he is studying at the University of Ghana”. He added that, “following up on him, we came across several others with the same problem, so we have decided to take up a mantle and adopt the unit.”

He recounted that, in April this year, the management of the Renal Unit, served notice of an increase in renal dialysis services from GH¢190 to GH¢260 per session, indicating that patients would have to pay an extra GH¢70.

The notice, dated April 18, 2016, indicated that the increment was due to the increase in the prices of consumables from Germany for the dialysis treatment.

Most patients complained about the increase, which took effect from May 1, 2016, saying that it had led to irregular access to the service, leading to the death of some poor patients.

According to the company, “it will make sure that this amount, anytime it is depleted, we will replenish it to ensure that this scheme never collapses”. Mr. Seddy Kutortse assured Ghanaians that, the company would do a situational assessment of the state of affairs at the Renal Unit on a quarterly basis, in order to provide the required funding.

“My wife and I decided to cut short our foreign travels this year to be able to raise money to pay off the debts that had accrued at this unit because of the inability of some patients to pay for dialysis. It was through that means that we were able to defray the debts,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Head of Renal Dialysis Unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Vincent Boimah, has described the donation as a God-sent. According to him, the donation has come to them as big surprise and relief to the Unit.

Dr. Boimah told the media that, not too long ago, he complained to the management of the hospital about the huge debts owed the Unit by patients, due to the expensive cost associated with treating the disease.

He indicated that, so badly is the situation that only 10percent of patients who needed to undergo renal dialysis could afford the cost.

The Director of Finance at the Hospital, Bright Korkoryie, on his part, also described the intervention as very timely. “With this, we are able to resuscitate the department to full capacity, to enable them to do what they are best at doing;” he indicated.

By: Andrews Kankam