Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Joaboso member of parliament, has denied allegations that the additional dialysis treatment costs implemented by the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) were approved by the legislature.
This comes after the hospital started to impose additional costs on the dialysis patient. This procedure was originally going to cost GH¢380, but now it will cost GH¢491.
The Renal Patients Association of Ghana claims that the increase will make things more difficult financially for patients who are already finding it difficult to pay their payments on time.
The House did not sanction the additional costs being charged by the hospital, Mr. Akandoh—who also serves as the Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament—explained to Umaru Sanda on Eyewitness News on May 14.
“We never agreed at the committee level that the cost of dialysis must be increased. What happened was that the Ministry of Finance must waive all taxes on the [regent] of dialysis. So, it came to me as a shock when all the media houses were calling to tell me that fees had been increased. I don’t get it.
“Then, when you talk about that they make it sound as though parliament that has done some proposal and has gone ahead to approve it,” he stated.
Source: Akosua Boatemaa
