The recent increase in the cost of dialysis treatment has left many patients in a dire situation, with some being forced to skip their life-saving sessions.
The price hike, from 380 to 491, has made the treatment unaffordable for a significant number of individuals who rely on it to manage their kidney conditions.
According to Abigail Ohenewaa Mintah, a kidney patient, the approved price increase has had a devastating impact on her health and well-being. “I skipped my session because of the price hike. I am unable to eat even though I am hungry, and it is affecting me a lot because I don’t want to gain too much weight,” she expressed.
Another patient, Kwaku Kwarteng, shared similar sentiments, highlighting the fear and anxiety that arise from the financial burden of dialysis treatment. “Now you are even afraid to drink water or eat because you don’t know where you are going to get money for the dialysis,” he stated.
The President of the Dialysis Patients Association, Kojo Bafour Ahenkora, called for a reconsideration of the decision to increase the costs. He suggested that the increment could have been postponed until efforts to include dialysis treatment costs under the National Health Insurance Scheme were finalized. “If it’s Parliament who did this, we beg them to revisit the issues and do something about it,” he urged.
The ongoing conversations about dialysis treatment in Ghana have highlighted the challenges faced by patients, including the high cost of treatment and the shortage of machines.
As patients continue to grapple with the financial burden, there is a growing plea for affordable access to essential healthcare services.
