Cost-Free Dialysis For All Patients; NHIS Initiative

  NHIS to Absorb Dialysis Cost  for All Patients

National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has announced that it will absorb the cost of dialysis for all patients at varying proportions, effective this month.

This NHIS move is aimed at providing a cost-free dialysis relief to patients suffering from kidney diseases, who are often burdened by the high cost of dialysis treatment.

According to Dr. Da-Costa Aboagye, an Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), the scheme has categorized patients aged under 18 and above 60 years as the “vulnerable group”, and will absorb the cost of all eight dialysis sessions per month for these individuals for an initial period of six months.

“For patients aged 18 and 59 years, the scheme will absorb the cost of two dialysis sessions per month at GH¢982, that is GH¢491 per session, at all government facilities offering dialysis services, except Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH),” Dr. Aboagye explained.

The scheme has also estimated the cost of dialysis for the vulnerable group, with 84 verified patients, to be GH¢329,952 per month, and a cumulative sum of GH¢2.3 million for the six-month period.

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For those aged 18 and 59, the estimated cost is GH¢144,354 per month and about GH¢1.01 million by the end of December this year.

The NHIA has also emphasized that this initiative is a corporate social responsibility (CSR) gesture by the scheme as a stopgap measure, while the government works out a permanent solution.

The scheme hopes to encourage more corporate entities to join in supporting renal dialysis patients.

Dr. Aboagye stressed that the government is committed to finding sustainable interventions to deal with renal diseases and other illnesses not currently covered under the NHIS.

He noted that full actuarial studies have been conducted, which indicate that the scheme can absorb the costs for six months.

The NHIA has also allocated additional funds to support this initiative, with a total of approximately GH¢4.4 million being invested to support this initiative.

The scheme has received GH¢2 million from the government after parliamentary approval in its 2024 Allocation Formula, and has also allocated an additional GH¢2.4 million under its CSR budget.

“This means approximately GH¢4.4 million is being invested to support this initiative as indicated,” Dr. Aboagye explained.

The NHIS has partnered with several government hospitals, including Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Efia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH), Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH), and Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), to provide dialysis treatment to patients.

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