The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says it plans to leverage the Ghana Medical Trust Fund programme, also known as Mahama Cares, to regularise dialysis treatment on the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin says he will continue to lead the national response to Ghana’s dialysis crisis, as many public health facilities still lack essential equipment.
Speaking at the commissioning of a new dialysis centre at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital in the Eastern Region, built by the non-profit group Sustainable Health Education and Interventions (SHEILD), Alban Bagbin said urgent action is needed.
“Only one in ten patients currently access life-saving dialysis due to cost and distant barriers. Fewer than 400 dialysis machines serve the entire country. As the Speaker of Parliament, I will continue to champion the national response to chronic kidney disease,” he said.
In line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the management of non-profit groups, Sustainable Health Education and Interventions (SHEILD), says they are on a mission to ensure that no one is left behind in healthcare.
“So it’s been a very hectic time, but I think the result is amazing, and we are so happy that we’ve reached this stage, and just to add, we also were the ones who set up the Police Hospital dialysis unit. You see, access to health is something that should be there for everybody. Equity, access and quality health care.”
Currently, dialysis services are only available in 9 out of the 16 regions, prompting widespread public demand for government to focus on new interventions for renal patients.
The NHIA has outlined plans to make dialysis treatment more accessible under the NHIS using the Mahama Cares initiative. Although it has not publicly disclosed challenges with funding, the Authority insists the focus is on building a sustainable system for renal patients.
Speaking to JoyNews, NHIA Chief Executive Dr Victor Asare Bampoe said, “Let’s remember that the ultimate beneficiary is the most important. If you have end-stage renal failure and you have to have dialysis, then when you go to the facility, you must have your dialysis. If there are challenges, let us know so that we can close those gaps.”
“What Mahama Cares seeks to do is to systematise the way that dialysis is done so that all across Ghana, people can have the care that they require. And for me, that is the most important thing,” he added.
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