- Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is calling on Parliament to pass legislation that would allow organ harvesting and transplants to be done locally.
- Without a legal framework, patients are forced to travel abroad for procedures that Ghanaian specialists are qualified to perform.
- The hospital says the law would drastically reduce costs and improve access to life-saving surgeries.
Ghana’s leading public hospital is pushing for legal reform to make organ harvesting and transplantation possible within the country. Korle Bu Teaching Hospital says the absence of a governing law is forcing patients to seek expensive treatment abroad, despite the availability of skilled surgeons at home.
The hospital’s leadership believes that with the right legislation, procedures like kidney and cornea transplants could be performed locally at a fraction of the current cost. For example, corneas now have to be imported from overseas at prices ranging from $3,000 to $4,000. With domestic harvesting, the same surgery could cost as little as GH¢500.
The call was made during a visit by Parliament’s Health Committee, where hospital officials stressed that Ghana’s transplant capabilities are being held back by outdated legal barriers. They argue that passing the law would not only save lives but also reduce the financial burden on patients and families.
Korle Bu’s appeal adds to growing pressure on lawmakers to modernize Ghana’s medical legislation and make advanced care more accessible to the population.
