The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has assured its service providers that the agency will soon start making monthly payments to enhance their liquidity so service quality may improve.
Deputy Director of Communications at the NHIA, Selorm Adonoo told 3news.com on Wednesday that the Ministries of Health and Finance together with the leadership of the NHIA were working to improve the situation.
The Chamber of Pharmacy which is a supplier of medicines to some NHIS healthcare providers on Wednesday threatened to halt supply of medicines if the NHIA did not honour its financial obligation to its service providers.
According to Anthony Ameka, Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber, some members of the Chamber have not been paid for drugs supplied to NHIS service providers for ten months and beyond and their clients attribute their inability to pay the Chamber to NHIA’s indebtedness to them.
Mr Adonoo in responding to the claim, empathized with the situation and assured that the concern is being addressed with the urgency it deserves.
“I know the issue of indebtedness is a priority on our Chief Executive’s agenda and our sector ministerhas shown the commitment to resolve the matter of NHIS’ financing and sustainability. And indeed, we are all as stakeholders aware of the importance of the subject. Soon, some payments will commence so our providers will have some space to operate,” he assured.
The Minister for Health, Hon Kweku Agyeman-Manu also at the opening of this year’s Ghana Health Service (GHS) first senior managers meeting and launch of the District Health Information System dashboard and improved cause of death statistics on Tuesday, said health insurance service providers will soon receive monthly payments for services rendered to NHIS members to ensure the sustainability of the scheme.
According to him, he was working with the Ministry of Finance to settle the accumulated debt and ensure regular payments from thence.
The NHIS has a network of about 4,000 service providers comprising all the teaching hospitals, regional and district hospitals, clinics and some pharmacy and diagnostic centres across the country. Last year, the scheme recorded about 11 million in membership.
By 3news.com|Ghana