Bank Hospital becomes first private facility to conduct kidney transplant in Ghana

The Bank Hospital has become the first private hospital in Ghana to carry out a kidney transplant, officials of the health facility said.

The hospital performed two successful kidney transplants on two male patients last week.

Charlotte Osafo, who is the medical director of the Bank Hospital, led the team of medical experts, comprising nephrologists and a group of transplant surgeons from India, to accomplish the feat.

Dr Osafo is a renowned nephrologist and previously led Ghana’s first successful kidney transplant at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital back in 2008, involving three patients.

Her dedication has brought hope to countless kidney patients, an accomplishment that resonates deeply with the recent milestone achieved at the Bank Hospital.

The procedure adopted was the laparoscopic surgical procedure, also known as keyhole surgery, which was performed on the donors. This advanced surgical procedure is a minimally invasive procedure that allows surgery to be performed without having to make large incisions on the skin.

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One of the beneficiaries of the successful kidney transplants expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the medical team.

“I am happy for this second chance and very grateful to my donor,” he said with joy. “I am glad the surgery went well and I look forward to my successful recovery.

“Knowing that I can reclaim my life without having to seek health care outside Ghana says a lot about the quality of care available here, especially at the Bank Hospital.”

Dr Vijaya Rajakumari, the lead transplant surgeon from India, praised Osafo for her passion for her work and thanked her and the hospital for providing them with all the support they needed to successfully perform the operations. She also applauded the team for successfully carrying out a plasma exchange procedure which was needed for one of the patients – a first-of-its kind procedure to be performed in Ghana.

Addressing the media, Osafo thanked the board and directors of the Bank of Ghana and the Bank Hospital for their support in making the surgery possible. She also expressed her gratitude to the hospital medical team for their unconditional support during the whole process and said she hopes that the legal framework surrounding deceased organ donation will be expedited to help save more lives.

In the spirit of giving hope, the Bank Hospital has set up a foundation for the purpose of conducting research and undertaking preventive and treatment programmes for kidney disease-related issues.

About the Bank Hospital

The Bank Hospital is a multi-disciplinary private health-care facility focusing on the best possible clinical outcomes for patients and families.

With up-to-date facilities and state-of-the-art equipment, the Bank Hospital offers a broad spectrum of expert medical care and services to meet the needs of the communities we serve in Accra, Ghana and across our borders.

Indren Poovan (chief executive officer), Grace Awote (chief financial officer) and Dr Charlotte Osafo (medical director) with the transplant team from India

The management, transplant and medical team of the Bank Hospital

Grace Awote, chief financial officer (left), Indren Poovan, chief executive (middle) and Dr Charlotte Osafo, medical director (right)

Dr Osafo with Dr Vijaya Rajakumari (visiting transplant surgeon)