Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has condemned the previous administration for setting aside only GH¢4 million for Ghana’s free dialysis programme, asserting that the amount is grossly inadequate to meet the needs of patients nationwide.

Addressing the Parliamentary Press Corps on Thursday, March 13, he disclosed that merely GH¢2 million of the total sum was directly funded by the government, while the remaining GH¢2 million was obtained through corporate social responsibility efforts.

Having previously served as the Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Akandoh expressed alarm over the absence of a reliable financing model for dialysis care.

He underscored that the GH¢4 million allocation falls significantly short of covering the expensive costs associated with dialysis sessions, medical equipment, and patient management.

He referenced past parliamentary discussions, where proposals to establish a dedicated funding source for dialysis treatment were unsuccessful, forcing dependence on external contributions. Without a structured financial plan, he warned, the challenges facing dialysis patients would only intensify.

Furthermore, he cautioned that incorporating all life-threatening illnesses into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) without a solid financial framework could ultimately lead to the scheme’s collapse.

“I was a ranking member on the Health Committee of Parliament and there were no sustainable sources of funding for the dialysis. It never happened. We even suggested to make provision for dialysis and they allocated GH¢2 million. And they had to go and take an additional GH¢2 million from corporate social responsibility and I can tell you, GH¢4 million cannot take care of dialysis in the whole country.

“So there needs to be a sustainable and a reliable source of funding. Look, if we decide to put all manner of diseases on the National Health Insurance Scheme, it will collapse. You have no idea about how it costs to treat heart disease or chronic disease and surgeries.”