The Renal Patients Association of Ghana has welcomed the move by the National Health Insurance Authority to subsidise dialysis treatment for vulnerable groups for the period of six months.
But, the association is of the view that, the intervention could have been a comprehensive one to cover all chronic kidney diseases patients who need the dialysis session.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghanaian Times, in Accra, yesterday, the president of the association, Mr Baffour Kojo Ahenkorah, said the treatment for dialysis was expensive and it would be unfair on the part of other chronic kidney diseases patients, hence the need for the comprehensive coverage.
“This is a welcoming news and we commend the NHIA for the intervention but we wish it could have been a complete one and extended to cover all patients, because what happens after the six months? The treatment for the disease is very expensive and a lot of patients are dying out of it,” he added.
He called on government to take a second look at the intervention, emphasising its potential as sustainable solution to reduce mortality rate in the unit.
He also appealed to both governmental and non-governmental institutions for assistance in acquiring additional dialysis machines and consumables for health facilities across the country to aid in their treatment.
The NHIA on Monday announced a free dialysis subsidy for persons suffering from kidney diseases, aged below 18 and above 60 years.
The intervention by the NHIA in a statement signed by the Ag. Chief Executive Officer said, the patients would receive all eight dialysis sessions per month for free under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) effective June to December 2024.
The move, according to the statement, formed part of its 20th anniversary celebration with funding from the Government of Ghana approved by Parliament at an amount of GH¢2,000,000.00 as outlined in the NHIA’s 2024 Allocation Formula to support needy and vulnerable patients seeking dialysis treatment.
BY VIVIAN ARTHUR