The Minority in Parliament is demanding the immediate reversal of the increase in the charges for dialysis treatment in public hospitals.

Following the passage of the Fees and Charges regulation, the price has increased from GH₵380 to GH₵491, with kidney patients warning they may not be able to afford the critical treatment they need to survive.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament on Friday, the Ranking Member on the Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, tasked the Finance Minister, Dr Mohammed Amin Adam to urgently review the regulation to save lives.

He said that at the Subsidiary Legislation Committee, he was informed by the Chairman that during the deliberations on the proposals, they told the Ministry of Finance to go back and waive the taxes on reagents and medications, and not to increase the cost of dialysis.

Mr Akandoh clarified that at the meeting, the Ministry never indicated whether they were not going to consider the committee's suggestions.

“Mr Speaker, I am not oblivious to Article 11(7) (a)(b)(c). … If we really want to reject such a regulation, we need two-thirds of Parliament to be able to reject such a regulation.

Read also: Renal patients call for help as dialysis cost hits GH¢491 

"Mr Speaker, I think that, as a matter of urgency, I want to use this platform to call on the Minister responsible for Finance to come back to amend this particular act because already the people cannot even afford the 380 cedis,” he said.

On his part, the Minority Chief Whip, Kwame Governs Agbodza, insisted that if the charges are not reviewed, more people will die because they cannot afford the treatment.

“We are told renal disease prevalence in our country is about 13%, and Mr Speaker, sadly, the majority of the people don't make it or survive it. It's a serious matter.

"Mr Speaker, maybe what we should be asking for is for you to probably encourage the relevant committee to redouble our efforts in whatever way we can to make sure that these increases, which have come at the wrong time, are reversed,” he said.

The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, said he was happy when the NHIA made a significant allocation of GH₵2 million to help the needy in terms of offering such services.

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

He argued that what Parliament should do is to find out what can be done to address the increase in dialysis treatment, adding that there has been an engagement to find out whether there's a possibility of moving the service to the NHIA.

“Thankfully, the ranking member knows about the issues. What the committee should be doing is to probe further, get details, and inform this house for us to take a decision. You can decide to come by this leg of action and raise the matter as an urgent matter, but there is more you can do as a committee.”

He challenged the Health Committee to follow up on some allocations made by the National Health Insurance Authority to subsidise the cost instead of dramatising the problem for political gain.

Read also: Dialysis crisis: NHIA to introduce scheme to subsidise dialysis cost

“Mr Speaker, I want to challenge the leadership of the committee, including the ranking member, that after the provision of the two million by the NHIA in the course of passing the formula, that dedication was made. What more can be done in this regard to resolve the problem?

'For me, that should be engaging our sentiments and concerns. It shouldn't just be a case of raising the matter, dramatising the matter, and leaving it there. The committee should do more and direct this house to take certain decisions in dealing with the problem,” he said.