The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has disbursed GHS1 million to hospitals nationwide, under the free dialysis intervention programme.

This funding covers advance payments for September and arrears for July and August 2024.

Six hospitals are set to benefit from this disbursement: Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Efia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH), Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH), Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH), and Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH). Of these, KATH received the highest amount, totaling GHS186,670.

This fund allocation is expected to reimburse patients who paid out-of-pocket for dialysis sessions in July and August, according to the NHIA's approved rates.

The free dialysis programme, launched in June, has significantly increased access to life-saving dialysis services across the country.

Under the programme, patients under 18 and those over 60 receive full coverage for eight dialysis sessions per month.

Adults aged 19 to 59 are entitled to two free dialysis sessions monthly, with the exception of KBTH, where patients in this age group receive a 50 per cent subsidy for two sessions.

NHIA Chief Executive Officer, Aboagye Dacosta, expressed the Authority’s commitment to the programme, stating: “This comprehensive funding reflects the NHIA's commitment to supporting patients in need of dialysis, thereby ensuring that essential medical services remain accessible without financial burden.”

Since the programme’s inception, a total of GHS1,588,565 has been allocated to support free dialysis services across the nation.

At KATH, the impact has been particularly significant, with the hospital's Dialysis Centre now handling over 300 sessions per month, up from just 80 before the programME began.

However, this surge in demand has put pressure on the hospital's resources. Prof. Otchere Addai-Mensah, CEO of KATH, highlighted the urgent need for additional dialysis machines.

“At the moment, the demand is so high that the engineers are not able to service the machines as expected because they are constantly under use,” he explained.

KATH has expanded its Dialysis Centre from fewer than two machines at the start of 2023 to seven by May 2024.

This expansion, funded by internally generated funds and donations, has been critical in providing dialysis care to kidney patients in the Ashanti Region and beyond.

The hospital recently acquired three new machines at a cost of GHS1.6 million and received two refurbished machines donated by the Springfield Group, which has pledged to donate three more.

Prof. Addai-Mensah also noted that while additional donations are expected from the Ghana Airport Company and the Springfield Group, the hospital still urgently needs more machines to meet patient demand.

“The hospital is in dire need of additional machines to fully meet the needs of patients hence the need for the government and the public to support,” he added.