Dialysis treatment to be extended to private health facilities – Akandoh

Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has announced that President John Dramani Mahama has directed that the government’s dialysis subsidy be extended to private health facilities.

He made the announcement 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.

According to the Minister, the government will cover GH₵500 of the amount charged per dialysis session at private health facilities.

“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—that’s 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’s a necessity; the President has directed us to give what is paid to the public facilities,” he explained.

“So, for example, if you go to private facility A and they are charging you 1,000 Ghana cedis, the government will pay the 500 Ghana cedis, and you top up, to be fair to everybody. So, the CEO for the National Health Insurance has been directed accordingly to take up that challenge,” he added.

Mr. Akandoh also appealed to corporate organisations and individuals to support the government by contributing to the fund.

“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 there are some banks as well,” he said