Acute Kidney Care Project
Building sustainable access to lifesaving hemodialysis care across northern Ghana.
Since 2024, Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme has covered hemodialysis for patients with acute kidney injury, removing a major financial barrier to care. Yet for patients in the Upper West and Upper East Regions, access to dialysis remains out of reach — not because of cost, but because dialysis machines simply do not exist.
While southern Ghana has multiple functioning hemodialysis centres, northern Ghana remains critically underserved. Patients with acute kidney failure continue to lose their lives due to the absence of this essential, time-sensitive treatment.
In the Fall of 2025, the Vancouver Island Health Authority (Canada) is donating 17 modern Fresenius hemodialysis machines to help transform kidney care in northern Ghana.
Working in partnership with the Ghana Health Service, Ghana Medical Help (GMH) will support the creation of hemodialysis centres at five public hospitals:
Wa Regional Hospital – Upper West
Nandom District Hospital – Upper West
Bolgatanga Regional Hospital – Upper East
Builsa North Municipal Hospital – Upper East
Navrongo District Hospital – Upper East
These centres will expand access to dialysis for patients with acute kidney injury and contribute to more equitable distribution of specialized medical services across Ghana.
By decentralizing access to dialysis services and embedding them within public hospitals, this project ensures that patients can receive timely care close to home, without the need for costly and often impossible travel to southern Ghana.
17 modern Fresenius 5008 hemodialysis machines will be donated to help transform kidney care in Northern Ghana.
This project is being delivered in close collaboration with the Ghana Health Service, with whom Ghana Medical Help maintains direct communication at national, regional, and facility levels.
GMH is in direct engagement with the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Regional Directors of Health, and senior hospital administrators at all participating facilities.
Participating hospitals have committed to using internally generated funds to support the establishment and ongoing operation of hemodialysis services, including renovation and recurrent costs.
District hospitals (Nandom, Navrongo, Sandema) will require more extensive renovations than regional hospitals, which already have partial dialysis infrastructure in place.
A joint Ghanaian-Canadian implementation team meets weekly to oversee planning, logistics, training, and facility preparation.
This initiative builds on long-term investments in both clinical leadership and technical systems in the Upper Regions.
Through GMH’s CSA project, the number of internists in the Upper Regions has increased from 0 to 7, including internists with additional training in nephrology, who will be responsible for running and supervising the renal units.
Dr. Dominic Akaateba, who established the first hospital-based hemodialysis unit in the Upper Regions at Wa Regional Hospital, brings direct experience in implementing dialysis services and will play a key leadership role.
A robust biomedical engineering support plan is being developed to ensure safe installation, maintenance, and repair of the hemodialysis machines.
Training will be led by Fresenius, the equipment manufacturer.
Biomedical engineers based in Ottawa and Victoria have expressed interest in supporting this training in collaboration with Ghanaian engineers.
The program will strengthen regional capacity to independently manage dialysis equipment over the long term.
This project represents a coordinated effort to address a critical gap in access to acute kidney care in northern Ghana. Through donated equipment, trained clinical and technical staff, and strong institutional partnerships, sustainable hemodialysis services will be established across five public hospitals in the Upper Regions.
By building on existing leadership and health system capacity, this initiative lays the foundation for equitable, lifesaving renal care where it has previously been unavailable.
At this time, additional fundraising is underway to support remaining implementation costs for this project. Funds raised will support 1) biomedical engineering training and 2) hospital renovations required to establish dialysis units. These contributions are particularly critical for rural hospitals such as Sandema and Navrongo, where financial resources are limited.
Donations can be made securely through our website, or by cheque mailed to 173 Fern Rd West, Qualicum Beach BC, V9K 1S4.
Donors contributing $1,000 or more will receive a recognition plate at one of the five new hemodialysis centres. All donors will also receive biannual updates, including photographs, financial summaries, and progress reports covering shipment, renovations, training, and the initiation of hemodialysis services.
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Phone: +1 (249) 359-6788
Email: info@ghanamedicalhelp.com
Mailing Addess: 173 Fern Rd West, Qualicum Beach BC, V9K 1S4 Canada