The Forum for Development and Accountable Governance (FDAG) has accused the previous government of deceiving the public with its widely publicized “free dialysis” initiative, calling it an electoral gimmick that collapsed immediately after the December 2024 elections.
The advocacy group claims that the programme’s failure has directly contributed to the deaths of patients who were left stranded without treatment.
According FDAG, investigations across major hospitals in Ghana reveal that the initiative, which was announced in November 2024, was poorly planned, lacked proper funding, and left thousands of renal patients without access to life-saving dialysis treatment.
In a press statement signed by Nana Kojo Abbam, a senior research fellow of the group who doubles as the spokesperson, stated that the government, through the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), promised free dialysis treatments at 40 health facilities, allocating between GHS 20 million and GHS 57 million for the Programme.
However, an FDAG investigative report covering hospitals such as Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH), Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH), Efia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH), Ho Teaching Hospital (HTH), and Tamale Teaching Hospital (TTH) found that the programme was poorly executed and quickly collapsed.
“More than 70% of patients who were supposed to benefit from the programme could not access treatment due to funding shortfalls, machine shortages, and administrative confusion,” the statement said.
“Hospitals received little to no clear directives, leaving patients and medical staff in limbo. Within weeks after the elections, the program collapsed entirely.”
FDAG’s findings suggest that at least 30 renal patients died as a result of the abrupt end of the initiative.
“We spoke to families who were forced into crippling debt just to keep their loved ones alive,” said Nana Kojo Abbam, spokesperson for FDAG.
“Some patients were even willing to pay for dialysis but were denied treatment due to bureaucratic hurdles created by the failed free dialysis.
The advocacy group is now demanding answers from the government and the NHIA.
FDAG is also calling for a formal investigation and possible prosecution of officials responsible for what it describes as “avoidable deaths.”
“The people of Ghana deserve a healthcare system that prioritizes lives over politics,” Abbam said.
“We cannot allow election-time gimmicks to determine who gets to live and who is left to die.”
Additionally, the group insists that dialysis treatment should be permanently included under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) rather than being used as a temporary political promise.
Ghana’s dialysis crisis has worsened in recent years, with over 5,000 renal patients requiring regular treatment.
Due to high costs and limited access, more than 60% of these patients receive inadequate care or no treatment at all.
AM/KA
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