President Akufo-Addo has issued a directive to the Ministry of Health and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to create a comprehensive strategy for funding kidney treatment in the country.
This announcement came in response to concerns raised by a group of medical doctors representing the Private Health Facilities Association, who petitioned the government about the kidney dialysis crisis in Ghana.
Information Minister Kojo Oppong Nkrumah stated, “When the matter came up, the President instructed the health authorities to examine it and come to the table with various recommendations on how to deal with it, and I do know those recommendations are due in the next couple of weeks. By both, I mean the National Health Insurance Authority and the Ministry of Health,” citinewsonline.com quotes.
Dr. Samuel Boakye Donkor, the Vice President of the Association, also urged the government to consider granting a tax waiver on medical equipment, including dialysis machines, to facilitate patient treatment. He highlighted the increasing number of kidney cases in the country and the challenges faced in importing dialysis machines due to high import duties.
He stated, “The number of kidney cases is alarming; it keeps increasing daily. We want to get more machines so we can treat our Ghanaian people, but it is really expensive to get the machines into our country. When they get to the port, the amount of money you have to pay, the duties you have to pay, so we are pleading with the government if a tax waiver will be granted so we can bring more.”
Earlier this year, patients undergoing dialysis treatment in Ghana expressed their concerns when the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital’s Renal Dialysis Unit announced a significant increase in dialysis session costs.
However, the hospital reversed its decision after public outrage. The Renal Unit at Korle-Bu has also faced challenges with its closure to outpatients since May due to a shortage of consumables.
The Renal Patients Association of Ghana and the minority caucus of the Health Committee of Parliament have both called for the reopening of the renal unit to outpatients, citing concerns about the impact of the closure on patient health and well-being.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com