Dr. Aboagye Dacosta, CEO of NHIA, said a policy is underway to lessen the money worries for people with serious kidney problems.
They’re waiting for the NHIA Board’s approval for the scheme to cover some of the costs for kidney treatment.
He said because dialysis costs went up from GH¢380 to GH¢491, the new plan will help those who can’t afford it. Dr. Dacoasta mentioned that kidney patients at Korle Bu get some help from generous people who pay about GH¢380 of their bill. So, the new plan might cover the rest of the cost.
Speaking to JoyNews, he said:
“I think we have made progress on dialysis, so just last week a committee that has been set up to chair and implement the disbursement of the funds that were approved by Parliament has actually concluded their report including the dialysis patients themselves.
“So, we work with themselves, they have concluded there and I can confidently say that within the next few weeks we will be starting the disbursement to the various facilities,”
“We are looking at supplementing for both patients from Korle Bu, Komfo Anokye Teaching hospital in Central in such a way that for Korle Bu because they do get that support, we will be able to breach a gap for them and we support our patients also from Cape Coast and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital
“The fact is they[kidney patients] do eight cycles per month, we cannot do all the eight so we are looking at an average or may be below average…Like I said the report is ready, it is just to be taken to the board for final consideration then implementation starts,”
During an interview on JoyNews’ the Pulse on May 14, Kojo Baffour Ahenkorah, the President of the Renal Patients Association of Ghana, praised Dr. Dacoasta for his proactive approach.
Speaking about the philanthropist’s cost sharing, he stated that ever since the facility reopened following its brief closure, every renal patient has been responsible for paying the entire cost of their dialysis sessions.
Therefore, Mr. Ahenkorah understands what the NHIA CEO meant when he said that the expense was covered.
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