- Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam urges Parliament to pass organ harvesting legislation
- Patients travel abroad for kidney transplants due to lack of legal framework
- Ghana has qualified specialists, but no legal backing to perform transplants locally
The Chief Executive Officer of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Dr. Yakubu Seidu Adam, has urged Parliament to fast-track legislation on organ harvesting, noting that such a law would significantly reduce the cost of organ transplants for patients in Ghana.
Dr. Adam made the call during a visit by members of Parliament’s Health Committee on Wednesday, September 3, 2025.
He explained that due to the absence of a legal framework, many patients are forced to travel abroad—to countries like India, the UK, or the US—for transplants, even though Ghanaian specialists are fully qualified to perform these procedures locally.
“If a patient needs a kidney transplant, they must travel abroad. Yet, we have the expertise right here. The only thing missing is the legislative backing,” he said.
Dr. Adam also highlighted the impact of the legal gap on eye surgeries, particularly corneal transplants.
“As eye surgeons, we perform corneal transplants, but we can’t obtain corneas locally. We’re forced to import them from the U.S., where the cheapest costs between $3,000 and $4,000. If legislation allowed us to harvest corneas locally, a patient could pay as little as GH₵500,” he noted.
His appeal adds to growing pressure on lawmakers to establish a regulatory framework for organ donation and harvesting, which health professionals believe would improve access to life-saving transplants and make treatment more affordable for Ghanaians.
