Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, the Spokesperson on Health for the 2024 John Mahama Campaign and Member of Parliament for Juaboso, has dismissed the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s promise of free dialysis treatment as a campaign ploy without substance.
Akandoh criticised the pledge, set to commence on December 1, as lacking a viable policy framework and financial backing in the 2024 National Health Insurance Fund Allocation Formula or the 2024 Budget.
In a statement issued on Friday, November 15, 2024, Akandoh revealed that the formula allocates a mere GHS2 million to dialysis treatment, an amount he claims was included only after pressure from the Minority in Parliament.
“The NPP government showed no interest in prioritising dialysis treatment. The modest allocation we see now is solely due to efforts by the NDC,” he asserted.
Akandoh further accused Dr. Bawumia of using the issue to score political points rather than addressing the healthcare challenges faced by Ghanaians.
“The recent pledge by Dr. Bawumia to provide free dialysis treatment for kidney patients starting December 1 is yet another empty, reactionary promise from a government that has persistently failed to address the healthcare needs of Ghanaians. This promise has no credible policy framework, there is absolutely no reference to it in the NPP 2024 Manifesto, there is no allocation whatsoever in the 2024 National Health Insurance Fund Allocation Formula, and neither is there any necessary budgetary support provision in 2024 Budget prepared by the Economic Management Team headed by Dr Bawumia.
“This hollow commitment is a deceptive attempt to win public favour in the lead-up to the elections. The facts tell the story: the 2024 National Health Insurance Formula (NHIF) allocates a meagre GHS2 million to dialysis treatment, an amount added only after the Minority in Parliament demanded it as a condition for approving the formula. This minimal allocation did not come from Dr. Bawumia or his government’s initiative but from the opposition NDC, advocating for the people’s healthcare needs,” he stated.
Earlier this year, Dr Bawumia promised limited dialysis support for kidney patients aged 18 and below and those aged 60 and above. However, with no budgetary allocation, the commitment was deemed hollow.
The National Health Insurance Authority later announced that a portion of its GHS3.24 million Corporate Social Responsibility budget would go toward dialysis treatment, but this contribution was seen as insufficient.
Akandoh pointed out that the restricted age bracket in Dr Bawumia’s proposal would benefit fewer than 20% of those affected by renal failure. He questioned where Dr. Bawumia plans to secure the additional funds needed to cover the full scale of dialysis treatment, given that the 2024 budget includes no provisions for this need.
Akandoh also criticised Dr Bawumia’s administration for remaining silent last year while the Korle Bu Renal Unit kept its doors shut over an outstanding GHS4 million bill for dialysis consumables, resulting in the suffering of countless patients and the reported deaths of 19 individuals.
He further noted that this trend of unfulfilled promises is familiar, citing the delayed reconstruction of La General Hospital and the unfulfilled promise to employ 15,000 nurses and midwives by October 2024.
Akandoh concluded that Dr Bawumia’s recent pledge to cover dialysis treatment was a reaction to former President John Dramani Mahama’s promise to fund dialysis and cancer treatment under the Mahama Cares programme.
He called on Ghanaians to vote out Dr Bawumia and his government, urging them to support John Dramani Mahama to transform the health sector.
“The people of Ghana deserve leaders who prioritise their health and well-being— not those who exploit their suffering for political gain. Its time Ghanaians vote out Dr Bawumia and his government to end this nightmarish governance and vote in the Nation Builder, John Dramani Mahama to revamp and completely transform the health sector. Dr. Bawumia’s empty words and sloganeering cannot obscure the years of neglect and broken promises that define his tenure,” he said.
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