The Government has announced, the expansion of its coverage on expensive medicines patients and their families find difficult to afford for, their health problems.
The Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, who made this disclosure at a press briefing on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, said the inclusion of the expensive medicines on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was to help reduce the financial burdens borne by the patients and families.
Among the medicines mentioned included the hydroxyurea used in the treatment of sickle cell disease and medicines for breast cancer treatment as well.
The intervention by the government to include the medicines in the list of drugs paid for by the state adds to earlier moves to ease the burdens of the ordinary Ghanaian’s health-related problems.
It would be recalled that the First Lady, Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo announced the inclusion of some childhood cancers on NHIS to absorb costs to be borne by parents of children who are diagnosed with the cancers. These include leukaemia, Wilms Tumor, Retinoblastoma and Burkitt Lymphoma.
According to Mrs. Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the children will undergo Surgery, Chemotherapy or Radiotherapy, however, the expenses would be covered by the state.
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