Health Minister Kwabena Mintah Akandoh says government’s dialysis subsidy programme will soon be expanded to include private health facilities, following a directive from President John Dramani Mahama.
The move is part of efforts to make life-saving dialysis treatment more affordable and accessible to all patients, regardless of where they seek care.
Speaking at the inauguration of the 13-member governing board of the Ghana Medical Trust Fund—popularly known as ‘Mahama Cares’— Mr. Akandoh said the government will absorb GH₵500 of the cost per dialysis session at private facilities.
“The current arrangement for payment of dialysis is that if you go to public health facilities, we have a maximum amount of money we pay per session—that’s around 499, something about 500 Ghana cedis. What we have realised is that there are people who also go to private facilities, and so, it’s a necessity; the President has directed us to give what is paid to the public facilities.”
He noted that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has been tasked with implementing this new directive.
Mr. Akandoh also urged the private sector to partner government in sustaining the ‘Mahama Cares’ initiative.
“We cannot do it all alone,” he said. “It is the partnership between the government and corporate Ghana that will take us far. There are other corporate bodies who have come on board, like Telecel Group of Companies, and there are some banks as well.”
The ‘Mahama Cares’ programme was established to support the treatment of chronic non-communicable diseases and ease the financial burden on patients.
