The National Health Students Association of Ghana (NAHSAG) have expressed concern, regarding the cost of dialysis treatment in Ghana.
In a press statement addressed to the government and all relevant stakeholders (Ministry of Health, Ghana Health Service, National Health Insurance Authority.) the elite group of health care students indicated that Ghana falls below the bare minimum in the delivery of dialysis treatment in Africa, and even globally. “The overall dialysis prevalence is just 38.8 patients per million population. Hence in simple terms, only 38.8 out of every 1 million Ghanaians are receiving dialysis treatment. This prevalent rate falls far below not just the African Average ( 79 per million ), but also the global average (296 per million ).” they submitted.
The student body, in a bid to implore the government and relevant stakeholders to address the unbearable costs for dialysis treatment, proposed a waiver on import duties and taxes and the inclusion of dialysis’ treatment to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The press statement signed by the President of the National Health Students Association of Ghana; Asamoah Daniel Onomah, indicated that these initiatives if attempted by the government, will not only alleviate the increasing casualties caused by the high cost of the said treatment, but will also be a strategic investment in the health and well-being of the Ghanaian people. “The implementation of these measures is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic investment in the health and well-being of our citizens.”