Public Relations Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Barima Sarpong, has revealed that the government has taken substantial steps to offer free dialysis services to individuals with kidney-related issues through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
Speaking on Happy 98.9FM’s Epa Hoa Daben show with Bismark Brown, Mr. Sarpong explained that the free dialysis policy, announced by Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, will be available for all NHIS-covered patients starting December 1, 2024.
According to Mr. Sarpong, the NHIA, under government supervision, conducted a pilot program for the policy from July to September to evaluate its sustainability. “The NHIA has already discussed the necessary arrangements for effective implementation and continuation of the policy. Earlier this year, the Ministry of Health and NHIA developed a budget, which Parliament approved, to conduct this pilot program,” he stated.
He added that a budget of 1.5 million Ghana cedis was allocated to hospitals and health centers registered with the NHIA nationwide for the pilot. “Under the free dialysis care program, NHIS disbursed over 1.5 million Ghana cedis in July, August, and September. Tamale Hospital, for instance, received a total of 56,956 cedis,” he noted.
Barima Sarpong encouraged Ghanaians to view this initiative as part of the government’s broader efforts to improve healthcare and reduce financial burdens. “This policy has gone through thorough discussions and scrutiny by the government and stakeholders and have carried out a successful pilot of the initiative which will soon be rolled out,”
