Dr Aboagye da Costa
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has fulfilled its payment promise under the Free Dialysis Coverage policy for certain vulnerable patient categories.
Approved by Parliament within the NHIA’s Allocation Formula for 2024, this initiative was launched in June this year and involves a substantial financial commitment to selected healthcare providers.
Under this new arrangement, healthcare facilities are set to receive payments amounting to GHS 4.4 million. This sum is composed of GHS 2 million from the Allocation Formula and an additional GHS 2.4 million from the NHIA’s Corporate Social Responsibility Budget for the fiscal year.
In a statement issued by the Acting Chief Executive Officer of NHIA, Dr Aboagye Dacosta, said: “In line with this new initiative, the six providers namely Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Efia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH), Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH), Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) all submitted their respective list of chronic dialysis patients that received treatment in June and have subsequently been paid of a total amount of GHS 587,236.00, (Five Hundred and Eighty-Seven Thousand, Two Hundred and Thirty Six Cedis) marking the first month of the implementation of Government’s critical support to these patients”.
Dr. Da-Costa Aboagye explained the allocation for each hospital as follows:
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital: GHS 96,236.00
Cape Coast Teaching Hospital: GHS 77,578.00
Efia Nkwanta Regional Hospital: GHS 92,308.00
Ho Teaching Hospital: GHS 83,470.00
Tamale Teaching Hospital: GHS 57,938.00
Korle Bu Teaching Hospital: GHS 179,706.00.
The statement also assured patients who may have paid for their treatment in July of full reimbursement according to the approved amounts for their respective categories.
“Patients aged 18 and below and 60 years and above will receive all eight (8) free dialysis sessions per month under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) from June to December 2024.
Persons aged 19 to 59 years seeking treatment at KATH, CCTH, ENRH, HTH, and TTH except KBTH, will receive two (2) dialysis sessions per month”.
“Adult Patients (19 to 59) receiving treatment at KBTH will receive a subsidy for two (2) dialysis sessions per month, meaning the NHIA will cover 50% of the cost of the two sessions.”
-BY Daniel Bampoe