Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Ranking Member on Parliament’s Health Committee, has criticized Health Minister Kwaku Agyeman Manu for not reopening the Korle Bu Renal Unit.
He stated that, despite a call from the Minority Chief Whip on the floor of parliament, Mr. Agyeman Manu has failed to direct the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to reopen the renal unit.
The unit has been closed since May, with the hospital attributing it to the removal of tax and excise duty exemption on medical consumables.
Akandoh expressed his concern about the situation, and he suggested that the minister should be replaced if he cannot ensure the center’s reopening.
“Assume the minister could issue a directive, and as I speak to you that directive had not been adhered to, what’s he doing in the ministry?” he quizzed.
He stated that the Akufo-Addo government has failed to show any compassion to the affected renal patients, and their silence on the issue is appalling.
“I don’t see the commitment at all. They’ve closed the unit since May. I didn’t speak on the matter May, I didn’t speak on the matter June, did you hear the minister speak about it until some of us came in? Did you hear it become topical until some of us came in?
“Where is the commitment, including the president himself? There’s somebody who is vice president wanting to become president of this country, all he cares about is internal politics and how to become president, he doesn’t care. Hasn’t he heard that people are dying?
“And nobody, absolutely nobody seems to care. We in the minority side are not the holders of the public purse, so what we can do is to hold the executive to account and we’re doing our best under the circumstances.
“If you have an incompetent, an insensitive and unconscionable government this is what you go through,” he fumed.
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