The Member of Parliament for Juaboso Constituency, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has asked the Management of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) to refund the difference in fees charged persons suffering from kidney disease for dialysis.
He said the amount of GHC765.42 charged for the service, instead of GHC350.00, has not been approved by Parliament.
“Parliament was never informed about any intended price increase in the cost of dialysis at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. We only learnt of it just 3 days ago, through the media that Korle-Bu is charging GHC765.42p instead of GHC 350.00, which was strange.” he stated.
Speaking in an interview with Yaa Titi on Onua TV/FM's Pae Muka show, the Ranking Member on Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, the management should either refund in cash or allow them to exhaust the difference through subsequent visits.
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He noted that, “this increment comes as a shock to us because we know government grants the hospital tax reliefs and exemptions for the machineries they import for such diseases, but we were just told government has taken away all these incentives, making it more costly to import such machineries into the country. What they did is illegal, Parliament was never informed so that makes the monies they took illegal.”
Mr. Akandoh explained that the Hospital was supposed to submit a proposal through the sector minister, to the Minister of Finance then to Parliament for pre-laying before officials will be invited by Parliament to express their intention for the increase and state reasons for the increase.
On September 26, 2023, the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) increased the cost of renal dialysis from GHS¢350 to GHS¢765.42. The increment was met with outcry from patients and members of the public, who say the new fee is unaffordable.
On Thursday, September 28, Management of Korle Bu Teaching Hospital conceded that the proposed fee is yet to be approved.
“Any proposed fee will be forwarded to Parliament through the Ministry of Health for approval,” the hospital said in a statement.
“It is only after the due parliamentary approval that any revised fees will be implemented,” the statement added.
Meanwhile, authorities at the Ministry of Health are reported to have invited the Management of the KBTH to a meeting to discuss the matter.
By Clara Boadi Konadu