The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has officially added dialysis treatment to the list of services covered under its benefits.
This announcement was made on Tuesday, November 26, 2024, by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NHIS, Dr. Dacosta Aboagye, during a press briefing at the NHIS headquarters in Accra.
Dr. Aboagye stated that the scheme has allocated GHC8.1 billion to fund the rollout of this program, scheduled to begin on December 1, 2024. He emphasized the collaborative efforts between the Ministry of Health (MoH), the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), and the World Bank to procure state-of-the-art dialysis equipment.
“Currently, 30 dialysis machines have been ordered, with seven already delivered and 23 awaiting clearance at the port,” He said.
Additionally, the Public Procurement Authority (PPA) recently approved the purchase of 15 more machines, each equipped with over 2,000 consumables.
This brings the total to 45 machines and over 6,000 consumables, which shows the readiness of the scheme to implement the program.
The CEO also highlighted the scheme’s nationwide scope, noting that these dialysis machines would be deployed across district offices and incorporated into the new Agenda 111 hospitals, which will feature renal units with modern dialysis facilities.
“Patients will no longer need to travel to Korle-Bu, Komfo Anokye, Kumasi, or Accra to access dialysis services. The facilities will now be closer to them,” he said.
Dr. Aboagye assured that stakeholders, including the Ministry of Health and heads of healthcare facilities, are fully aligned to ensure a seamless implementation.
He expressed confidence that the program would significantly benefit patients requiring dialysis treatment.
With this initiative, the NHIS is taking a significant step toward improving access to specialized healthcare and reducing the financial burden on patients in need of life-saving dialysis treatments.
The rollout on December 1 marks a transformative milestone in Ghana’s healthcare delivery system.
