The Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Aboagye Da-Costa, announced that the government is set to disburse GH¢2 million to support dialysis treatment for needy patients. This decision comes in response to the rising cost of dialysis, which saw an increase from GH¢380 to GH¢491 at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, a move that has faced criticism from members of Parliament‘s Select Committee on Health.
The funds, approved by Parliament in March, were granted after kidney patients appealed for government intervention due to the increased costs. Dr. Da-Costa expressed optimism that the forthcoming disbursement would provide significant relief to those in need.
“We have made progress on dialysis. The committee set up to implement the disbursement has concluded its report, and within the next few weeks, we will begin distributing the funds to various hospitals,” Dr. Da-Costa stated.
These funds are earmarked specifically for needy patients and will be used to supplement the cost of dialysis treatment at Korle Bu, Komfo Anokye, and Cape Coast hospitals. This initiative is part of a broader approval by Parliament in March, which allocated GH¢6.87 billion to the NHIA for health insurance claims and other activities for the year. For the first time, this approval included emergency support for dialysis patients as part of the 2024 distribution formula.
Further enhanced funding for dialysis will be made available once a committee, established to evaluate the actuarial model for incorporating dialysis into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), completes its work. Dr. Da-Costa noted that this committee has already submitted its report, which includes recommendations on the actual cost impact of dialysis on the claims budget and sustainability mechanisms.
This financial support aims to alleviate the burden on patients requiring dialysis, ensuring they have access to necessary treatments without prohibitive costs.
