The Renal Patients Association of Ghana has renewed calls for the inclusion of renal treatment in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
This follows growing concerns about the inability of many patients to afford the cost of treatment, prompting calls for tax waivers on dialysis consumables.
Speaking to Citi News, the president of the association, Baffuor Kojo Ahenkorah, emphasized the need for a strategic approach to tackling the dialysis crisis.
“All I can say is that the government is supposed to take charge of dialysis. Other countries are doing it, but the problem is that the consumables are very expensive, and the kind of consumables that Korle-Bu uses are very expensive. The best way is for the government to include it in the NHIS.”
“The point is that when they pay the National Health Insurance, it goes to the consolidated fund, and sometimes they don’t make full disbursements for health coverage. That’s why you see the scheme not being functional at some health facilities. Once they include dialysis treatment in the scheme and make full disbursements for it, I believe it can be achieved. Some countries on the continent are doing it, and nothing should prevent us from doing it too.”