Dialysis confusion: Patients at KATH still bearing costs despite NHIA's free renal services directive

Patients at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) are still grappling with the high financial costs of dialysis treatment, despite the National Health Insurance Authority's (NHIA) directive to cover some of the renal services.

The NHIA's initiative aimed to provide free renal services, including hemodialysis, to insured individuals suffering from chronic kidney disease.

However, patients seeking these services at KATH are yet to benefit from the free treatment, as the hospital awaits official communication from the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Yaw Opare Larbi, Deputy Medical Director of KATH, addressed the media in Kumasi, explaining the delay in implementing the free dialysis services.

Dr. Larbi emphasized the hospital's readiness to roll out the initiative but highlighted the necessity of receiving directives from the Ministry of Health before proceeding.

While acknowledging the availability of funds for the specified age brackets as outlined by the NHIA CEO, Dr. Larbi emphasized the hospital's readiness to provide the service hinges on receiving the necessary green light from the Ministry officially.

“We are ready to roll out, what we are only waiting for is because we work under the Ministry of Health anytime we are going to embark on any activity we need to receive directives from the Ministry. Before we commit our resources to this very important activity all we are waiting for is a directive to go ahead, these are the modalities for operation and so on.

“We are going to start a service and we are going to use consumables, they are the things like liquid and tubes that we use and when you finish, you have to discard, all those cost money. So we have to recoup the money and we know that the money has already been made available for the age brackets that have been described in the NHIA CEO’s address when he mentioned the package. So we are ready, all we are waiting for the Ministry of Health we work under to give us the green light to go ahead. They communicate to us through documents so that’s all we are waiting for.”