Gov’t to extend dialysis treatment subsidy to private hospitals – Akandoh

The Minister for Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced that government plans to extend the dialysis treatment subsidy to private health facilities in a significant effort to ease the financial burden on patients.

He made the disclosure during the inauguration of a 13-member governing board for the Ghana Medical Trust Fund, also known as Mahama Cares, a flagship initiative designed to provide financial support for the treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases.

In his address, Mr Akandoh stated that the government would cover GH₵500 of the amount charged per dialysis session at private health facilities.

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He explained:

The current arrangement for payment of dialysis is that if you go to public health facilities, we have a maximum amount of money we pay per session, around 499, something about 500 Ghana cedis. What we have realised is that there are people who also go to private facilities, and so it is a necessity; the President has directed us to give what is paid to the public facilities.

He continued:

So, for example, if you go to a private facility that charges you 1,000 Ghana cedis, the government will pay 500 Ghana cedis, and you will top up, to be fair to everybody. The CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority has been directed accordingly to take up that challenge.

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Mr Akandoh further appealed to the private sector to support government efforts, saying:

And finally, to also add my voice to the appeal the chairman made to corporate Ghana. We cannot do it all alone. It is the partnership between the government and corporate Ghana that will take us far. There are other corporate bodies who have come on board, like Telecel Group of Companies, and some banks as well.

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Ghana launched a free dialysis treatment programme on 1 December 2024 through the National Health Insurance Authority. The initiative provides kidney patients registered under the National Health Insurance Scheme with up to eight free dialysis sessions per month at selected facilities. It is expected to benefit about 1,200 patients nationwide and costs an estimated GH₵57 million annually.