The head of Ghana’s largest referral hospital is urging lawmakers to fast-track legislation regulating organ harvesting, warning that the absence of a legal framework is forcing patients to seek costly treatments abroad despite the country’s own surgical capabilities.
Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam, Chief Executive Officer of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, made the appeal during a visit by members of Parliament’s Health Committee on Wednesday. He emphasized that while Ghana boasts trained specialists capable of performing complex transplant procedures, the lack of enabling legislation renders them largely inactive.
“If a Ghanaian needs a kidney transplant today, they must travel to India, the UK, or the U.S., even though we have the expertise right here,” Dr. Adam said. “All we need is legislative approval.”
The hospital CEO added that the legal vacuum is not only affecting kidney transplants, but also undermining eye surgeries—particularly corneal procedures. Without a legal framework for local cornea donation, Ghanaian ophthalmologists must import corneas from the United States, where prices range from $3,000 to $4,000 per unit.
“Locally, a patient could receive a cornea transplant for as little as GH₵500 if we had a donation and harvesting law in place,” he noted.
His remarks come amid growing calls from medical professionals for Parliament to establish a regulatory structure that would govern ethical organ donation, ensure transparency, and expand domestic access to life-saving treatments. Advocates argue that such legislation would not only lower costs but also reduce the burden on families who often must navigate foreign healthcare systems to secure transplants.
As of now, Ghana remains without a comprehensive law to regulate organ donation and transplantation, placing it behind several African countries—including South Africa and Nigeria—that have implemented such frameworks.
The proposed law would be a pivotal step in positioning Ghana as a center for transplant medicine in the region, health experts say—provided it is accompanied by proper oversight and public education on organ donation.
