Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, has reaffirmed his commitment to improving access to quality healthcare in the Upper West Region, insisting that where a person is born or lives should never determine whether they receive life-saving treatment.
He made the remarks on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, when he commissioned the Expanded Dialysis Unit at the Upper West Regional Hospital in Wa.
Rt. Hon. Bagbin described the occasion as deeply personal, saying the Upper West Region is the land that shaped his life and values and which he continues to call home.
He said his involvement in expanding dialysis services followed his collaboration with Sustainable Health Education and Interventions Limited (SHEILD), which had previously supported dialysis units at the Ghana Police Hospital in Accra and the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital in Mampong, Akuapem.
Those interventions, he said, reinforced his conviction that residents of the Upper West Region deserved access to life-saving kidney care closer to home.
The Speaker highlighted the challenges families in the region face in accessing specialised healthcare, particularly the long distances patients and relatives have had to travel for dialysis.
“Where a person is born or lives should never determine whether they receive life-saving treatment,” he said, stressing that healthcare should be accessible to every Ghanaian regardless of geographical location.
The intervention, involving the donation of six dialysis machines and recliners in collaboration with the Upper West Parliamentary Caucus, was described by the Speaker as an act of service rather than a political gesture.
He dedicated the intervention to patients and families affected by kidney disease, saying it represented a commitment to affirming the value of their lives.
Rt. Hon. Bagbin commended the directors and staff of SHEILD for responding to his request to support the expansion of dialysis services at the hospital.
He specifically acknowledged Dr. Sylvia Anie and the SHEILD team for the extensive work involved in assessing machine compatibility, transportation, logistics and staff capacity building ahead of the expansion.
He also praised the management of the Upper West Regional Hospital, led by Dr. Philip Baabiineh and Mr. Francis Luguniah, as well as the dialysis team led by Dr. Abednego Attoh, for their professionalism and dedication despite resource constraints.
The Speaker said the commissioning should not signal the end of efforts to improve healthcare in underserved communities.
He pledged to continue championing initiatives that strengthen healthcare delivery and called for a broader vision where access to quality healthcare is not limited by geography.
“The people of the Upper West deserve to live with dignity. We deserve access to quality healthcare. We deserve opportunities to thrive without being disadvantaged by geography,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to make the expanded dialysis unit a symbol of hope, compassion and leadership translated into action, noting that the true measure of public service should be the lives improved rather than the offices occupied.
The intervention, sponsored by Rt. Hon. Bagbin, supported by the Upper West Parliamentary Caucus and implemented by SHEILD, provides the Upper West Regional Hospital with six new dialysis machines and recliners, significantly increasing its capacity to provide specialised renal care.
The commissioning therefore marks a significant milestone in efforts to bring life-saving kidney treatment closer to patients in the Upper West Region and neighbouring areas.
For the hospital and its catchment communities, the expansion represents not only increased infrastructure and equipment but also a renewed commitment to ensuring that patients are not denied essential treatment simply because of where they live.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
