Speaker Bagbin commissions expanded Dialysis Unit at Wa Regional Hospital, donates 6 new machines
Wa, Upper West Region, Wednesday, August 5, 2026
The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, today commissioned an expanded Dialysis Unit at the Wa Regional Hospital and donated six brand-new dialysis machines and modern dialysis recliners to improve access to life-saving kidney care in northern Ghana.
The intervention was undertaken in partnership with the non-governmental organisation Sustainable Health Education and Interventions Limited [SHEILD], with support from the Upper West Parliamentary Caucus and other entities.
The expansion is aimed at reducing preventable deaths and easing the burden on patients who previously had to travel long distances to Kumasi, Tamale or Accra to access dialysis treatment. Hospital authorities say the new machines and recliners will significantly expand treatment capacity and enhance renal healthcare delivery in the Upper West Region and neighbouring parts of northern Ghana.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Speaker Bagbin declared that “Healthcare is a right” and stressed the need for government and stakeholders to decentralize specialist services so citizens do not have to travel outside their regions for critical care.
He recounted his own near-death experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, explaining how he had to be airlifted to Dubai for a critical medical procedure because the required PET scan technology was unavailable anywhere in West Africa.
“That experience strengthened my determination to champion equitable access to specialised healthcare services across Ghana,” Speaker Bagbin told guests. “No Ghanaian should have to leave the country or travel 800 kilometers to stay alive.”
He commended SHEILD, the Upper West Parliamentary Caucus, hospital management, and development partners for the collaboration, and pledged Parliament’s continued support for investment in medical equipment, staffing, and infrastructure.
After the commissioning, the Speaker toured the expanded unit and interacted with patients and health workers. He inspected the new dialysis machines and recliners and urged the hospital to ensure proper maintenance and affordable treatment for patients.
Traditional leaders and health officials present praised the initiative and appealed for sustained funding, reliable water and power supply, and deployment of more nephrology specialists to sustain the service.
The Wa Regional Hospital management said the upgraded unit is now equipped to handle more patients daily, reducing wait times and out-of-pocket costs for families in the Upper West and surrounding regions.
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