Government has been able to pay only 60 million cedis out of the 130 million cedis monthly payment it promised service providers of the National Health Insurance Scheme across the country.
The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) owes service providers 1.2 billion Ghana Cedis but promised to give the service providers a monthly payment of 130 million cedi.
However, 3FM’s checks have revealed that only sixty million cedis of the first trench has been released and shared among the providers.
Some hospitals across the country have already reverted to the cash and carry system due to government indebtedness.
In an interview with the communications director at the NHIA, Dr. Nii Annan Adjetey, he said the second trench of seventy cedis would be paid by close of today May 29.
‘‘We were expecting 130 million in this particular trench that government promised from the finance ministry. 60 million was received and has been disbursed last week to all the providers. We are expecting 70 million to be released. Infact, as we speak we are expecting the 70 million to hit the accounts any moment from now. We have no control over it, the monies are released in trenches by central government ’’
Meanwhile, some NHIS service providers are yet to receive the first trench of money released.
Dr. Joseph Tambil, medical superintendent at the Tafo Government Hospital in the Eastern Region claims his service providers are yet to receive the said release.
According to him, government must come clear on the modalities regarding the issue with their payment.
‘‘The Minister of Health told us in about a week we are going to get one month payment. As it stands now it’s over a month and we are now talking about giving one month payment and I think that government need to come out clear on this issue and tell us what is really the situation honestly. It’s confusing and increases our anxiousness if anybody just wakes up and says anything. For God sake if they cannot sustain the NHIS, we should go strictly cash and carry,” he demanded.
By Sarah Parku |3FM|3news.com