A Research Fellow at the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana), Dr. Kwame Sarpong Asiedu, has expressed concerns over the allocated budget for the National Health Insurance Scheme’s (NHIS) six-month free dialysis treatment initiative. The scheme aims to provide free dialysis treatment for patients under 18 and over 60, with subsidies for those aged 19-59.
Dr. Asiedu argues that the allocated budget of 4.4 million cedis is insufficient, citing calculations based on patient numbers and treatment sessions. He estimates that the scheme requires at least 7 million cedis to effectively implement the service for six months.
“They have two million, so they are short of about 5.5 million, and they know it,” Dr. Asiedu said on the Super Morning Show. “The question is, are they being deliberate? The answer is no. They have the money. They are willing to fund it. So the question should not go to them. They have demonstrated good faith. The question should go to the people who provided the funding and approved two million. Are they going to cough out the remaining 5.5 million?”
The NHIA Director of Corporate Affairs, Oswald Mensah, clarified that the NHIS would cover 50% of the cost for two dialysis sessions for patients receiving treatment at Korle Bu, amounting to one million cedis. He stated that 531 patients are currently receiving dialysis treatment across the country.
Member of Parliament Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has called on the government to provide a clear plan for continuing payment for dialysis treatment, while Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin confirmed that the Health Committee of Parliament is addressing the matter.
The debate raises questions over the funding and sustainability of the NHIS’s dialysis treatment initiative, with concerns over the allocation of resources and the prioritization of healthcare in Ghana.
