The government started the free dialysis program in June 2024 through a pilot.

The program was successful, and the pilot phase ended on November 30th, 2024.

The technical working group recommended the addition of dialysis permanently on the benefits package from 1st December 2024.
The implementation of the permanent dialysis on the benefits package started smoothly and per the recommendations of the technical team an amount of 20 to 57million cedis were needed annually for the dialysis covering about 1200 to 1500 patients per year.

Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare,Former Presidential Advisor on Health and Chair of the dialysis committee

The finance minister after the initial disbursement of 2 million as allocated by Parliament with NHIA, also adding another 2.4 million from the coperate social responsibility budget through an administrative arrangement making 4.4 million cedis catered for the pilot phase though underutilised.

Since it was a priority to the then government, an amount of 57 million cedis out of the 1.9 billion first quarter 2025 budget was allocated on the vote of account reading by the finance minister and approved by Parliament in January 2025.

The vote on accounts budget for NHIA was 1.9 billion for the first quarter of 2025, which included the free dialysis for Ghanaians.

This means the cost of the free dialysis treatment was captured in the first quarter budget to show commitment and safe annual implementation for 2025.

Twenty (20)facilities were published by the NHIA in December 2024, after assessment for patients to have services.

These services are currently ongoing smoothly in the various selected facilities and have been confirmed by the President of the Dialysis Association.

45 dialysis machines through partners collaborations were used to support the free dialysis program.

If the Health Minister, Hon Kwabena Akando, wants to cancel the dialysis, he should tell us.

The program has its maximum funds of 57 million captured in the 2025 budget of NHIA as read by the finance minister in January 2025.

Let me remind the minister that addition to the benefits package is a technical decision, NOT a political decision. He should therefore leave the dialysis patients to continue enjoying the program. The Minister has the opportunity to enhance it.

Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare
Former Presidential Advisor on Health and Chair of the dialysis committee.