Claims that the parliament approved the new dialysis treatment fees implemented by the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) have been denied by Joaboso Member of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh.

This comes after the hospital started to impose additional costs on the dialysis patient. This treatment 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 bills on time.

The Ranking Member of Parliament’s Health Committee, Mr. Akandoh, made it clear that Parliament had not approved the hospital’s new fees when he spoke with 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.