National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has addressed public concerns, affirming that the free dialysis policy remains on track and is not under threat before its official launch.

The NHIA announced it is accelerating efforts to equip participating facilities with additional dialysis machines to support the policy’s rollout. Dr. Dacosta Aboagye, CEO of NHIA, stated that funding from the World Bank has been approved to facilitate a successful implementation, which aims to benefit hundreds of patients in need of dialysis.

This assurance follows concerns raised by the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), a major referral center, regarding limited resources to implement the policy.

KATH’s Deputy Medical Director, Dr. Yaw Opare Larbi, noted in an interview with JoyNews that the hospital currently operates with only seven functional machines and urgently requires additional equipment.

“We are hoping that the government will support us. This has been done recently. I think I can mention Korle Bu, who were given 30 dialysis machines,” he said.

“And we have seven, and if you look at the number of patients we see in our catchment area, we certainly need more help.”

He added that the hospital’s workload would worsen without additional machines.

However, NHIA’s Dr Dacosta Aboagye reassured that plans are already underway to equip KATH and other facilities with additional machines, ensuring a smooth launch in December.

“Let me assure Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital that there should be no cause for alarm. About two months ago, they brought a request to the NHIS for equipment support, and we wrote a proposal to the World Bank.

“That proposal, as we speak, has been approved and is currently with the PPA. Once we get the PPA letter, we’ll be procuring some dialysis machines, and Komfo Anokye, Effia Nkwanta, and a few other centers will be beneficiaries. So they shouldn’t worry at all,” he stated.

Dr Aboagye highlighted that the procurement of these machines is part of a larger government strategy, noting that under the Agenda 111 initiative, dialysis centers will be established to ensure people do not have to travel far for treatment.

“It’s a comprehensive programme that is going to be rolled out by the government, and I believe that the facilities will be able to cope with it,” he added.

Dr. Aboagye revealed that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has successfully settled a legacy debt of GH₵1.2 billion, which had been carried over since 2017.

Speaking at an event with the Ghana Medical Association, he assured that the scheme is now financially sound and equipped to efficiently carry out its responsibilities.