The Renal Patients Association of Ghana has commended the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for the six-month free dialysis programme.

In an interview aired on Joy FM’s Midday News on June 3, President of the Association, Kojo Baffour Ahenkorah described the initiative as “laudable.”

“We appreciate what the National Health Insurance Scheme has done. It will save lives, it will help children between zero to 18 and people above 60 years since they are the vulnerable ones … we hope something good will come out of that,” he added.

He, however, demanded a lasting solution, adding that the money pumped into the initiative “is not that big. This is one thing people should know, it is just GH₵2 million.”

On June 1, the NHIA announced the commencement of a free six-month dialysis support programme for renal patients from June to December 2024.

The programme aims to support at-risk populations, such as individuals under 18 and those over 60 years by offering eight complimentary dialysis sessions monthly.

Additionally, patients between 18 and 59 will receive two free dialysis sessions monthly at specific hospitals. The total estimated cost of the initiative is GH₵4.4 million.

Also, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr Aboagye Da-Costa said the free six-month dialysis programme is rolled out on “compassionate grounds because it is our 20^th anniversary.”

He expressed confidence in the government's ability to innovate a sustainable way of mitigating the suffering of renal patients by the time the support elapses.

Dr Da-Costa also assured that the government is looking at a “sustainable way to fund treatment of chronic diseases.”

• Read also: Government to disburse ¢2m to support dialysis treatment – NHIA CEO