The Public Relations Officer of the Health Ministry, Isaac Offei Baah says there are plans to migrate the cost of dialysis onto the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

According to him, the government had noticed the frustrations kidney patients had to endure over the past months, and is therefore taking initiatives to help subsidize the cost of dialysis.

Speaking on Newsnight on Joy FM, he said “about two weeks ago, His Excellency the President directed that we should migrate the dialysis cost on the National Health Insurance bracket. When that happens, it can also be part of the interventions. I am not saying that I am directing that dialysis cost should be moved to NHI but I am saying that as a base to explain the situation.”

Mr Baah explained that the Ministry is also exploring ways to ensure that the government can subsidize payment at the hospital for renal patients to reduce the out-of-pocket expenditure.  

When asked about the statement Korle Bu issued urging parliament to consider approving the new cost of dialysis, he said the letter was addressed to the Health Ministry and the health facility was only seizing the opportunity to encourage parliament to give more attention to their request.

Meanwhile, he said the ministry was in a meeting with the management of the Korle Bu Hospital Teaching Hospital (KBTH) discussing what could be done to run and prevent the facility from running into debt.

In a statement issued on November 7, the management of the KBTH announced the reopening of its Renal Unit to outpatients

• Read more: Korle Bu Renal Unit reopens; asks Parliament to swiftly approve new fees

It stated that the Renal Unit was opened on Monday, November 6.