Dialysis cost: If we can grant tax waivers for the building of plush hotels, we should do the same for medical supplies - MP

A Member of Parliament for Builsa South has waded into the debate on the dialysis crisis, wondering why the government has imposed taxes on medical supplies.

Dr. Clement Apaak says he does not understand why the government will give tax waivers to companies but impose a tax on medical supplies.

He has therefore admonished the government to immediately remove taxes on medical supplies as part of measures to help reduce the cost of dialysis treatment in the country.
The debate surrounding the cost of treatment for patients with kidney disease has increased recently.


Several professionals have raised concerns over the increasing rate of kidney diseases, especially among the young.

Several health facilities, including Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, have blamed the high cost of taxation for the recent increase in the cost of dialysis.


The government used to exempt the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital from paying some importation duties and some related taxes.

The situation was no longer the same.
Commenting on this, Dr. Apaak underscored the need for the government to take steps to address the issue.

In his recommendation, he said one of the things we ought to be doing is for the government to decap funding that is targeted as planned for the National Health Insurance.

According to him, this is something they have reiterated, especially by their presidential candidate, former President John Dramani Mahama.

He also admonished the need for the government to decap GetFund since there was no need for us to be capping revenue, which we as a people have agreed should be channelled specifically into these two critical areas.

‘I think that can be a start because the more resources that are available, the easier it will be for the scheme to cater to some of these challenges. We also need to look at granting tax waivers because I don’t see why in parliament we grant waivers for building plush hospitals, and yet when we are getting critical healthcare supplies, we are imposing taxes on them,’ he said in an interview with Joy News.