Presidential candidate of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama has asked the government to scrap import charges and taxes on medication and kits for dialysis treatment in the country.
He proposed this at an event commemorating the United Nations International Day of the Aged in 2023.
He opined that the government’s decision to burden patients with exorbitant treatment costs in the face of the economic crisis was worrying.
“Given the opportunity, we shall bring relief to thousands of our citizens suffering from these ailments. Just this week, there was an uproar when the nation’s premier teaching hospital, Korle Bu announced an increase in charges for dialysis treatment by one hundred percent which is threatening to put the cost of dialysis treatment out of the reach of many patients and their families.
“The explanation I have read from the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital cites the increase in taxes and duties of materials for dialysis treatment as the main reason for their decision to hike the price by a hundred percent. As an immediate measure, I call on the government to exempt medication and kits for dialysis treatment from taxes and duties to maintain this critical lifeline for patients whose survival depends on these treatments.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
