Source: newsthemegh.com
Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, a ranking member of the Parliamentary Health Committee, has questioned Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s recent declaration that the government would pay for some patient categories’ dialysis expenses.
Hon. Akandoh stated that the Vice President’s lauded effort came from Parliament and was neither the Vice President’s or the government’s idea.
“This proposal never came from the executive. The Vice President does not know this proposal,” Akandoh stated.
“You will realise that the huge population of dialysis patients is between the ages of 19 and 59. So the below 18 and above 60, constitute less than 30%, maybe around 20% of the population suffering from renal diseases, you see where the deception is.”
“We need a sustainable, well-thought-through plan to be able to absorb the cost of dialysis. Not this populist approach,” he emphasized.
He contended that the National Health Insurance Authority’s (NHIA) 2024 formula should include a special provision for paying for dialysis treatment costs because Parliament advocated for it.
Although Akandoh accepted that GH¢2 million had been provided, he denounced the sum as being insufficient.
He claims that the Vice President’s targeted patient categories—those under the age of 18 and those beyond the age of 60—are absurd as most people in need of such essential care don’t fit into either of these categories.
“What dialysis patients need is for either the total absorption of the cost or partial absorption of the cost, and the bulk of the population for these patients are within 19 and 59 years old, not below 18 and above 60. The Vice President’s announcement is a deception,” Akandoh said and emphasized the actual demands of those undergoing dialysis.
Additionally, Akandoh questioned the program’s viability, pointing out that the six-month coverage period is all that has been revealed.