Management of the Tamale Teaching Hospital has refuted claims that patience are made to pay before healthcare is delivered.
A group calling itself Coalition for Change in Government Institutions on 12 June 2017 issued a release to the effect that the Tamale Teaching Hospital has been charging clients on National Health Insurance Scheme.
The group raised concerns about the return of what it claims to be ‘cash and carry’ system at the Tamale Teaching Hospital compelling subscribers of NHIS to purchase covered drugs from outside at their own cost.
The Coalition for Change in Government Institutions claim the Hospital Administration Management Software (HAMS) used in billing clients is shortchanging them and therefore insist an audit must be conducted of the system.
HAMS SOFTWARE
The Hospital Administration and Management Software (HAMS) is a comprehensive and fully integrated health information system that manages all aspects of hospital activities. HAMS is a computerised software that caters for all health information needs from clinicals to supporting activities such as inventory and billing management. HAMS is designed and developed by Ghanaians tailored to serve local health needs but with global standards.
The concern group claims the software is being manipulated by the hospital administrators to extol monies from innocent patients.
For instance they claim the intranet system is loaded with fill tariffs for every condition as either covered by NHIS or not.
Reacting to the allegation, the director of finance at the Tamale Teaching Hospital, Mr. Karim Kuuri described the allegations as unfounded and malicious attempt to dent the hospital’s administration. He said the hospital rather, installed the software to halt misappropriation of hospital funds and extortion of monies from patients: “The hospital management signed unto the Hospital Administration Management Software to save thousands of cedis which, hitherto, went into private pockets resulting in loses” Mr. Karim told 3news.com.
He said contrary to allegation by the Coalition for Change in Government to the effect that the software has been installed to “steal” from clients by shortchanging them as it operates, the director of finance Karim Kuuri said “HAMS rather tracks all payment and none payment under the three categories of clients namely: National Health Insurance Holders, Private cash clients and Corporate and Boards.”
He said the inception of HAMS has increased the hospital revenue especially NHIS claims.
By Zubaida Ismail|TV3|Ghana
Twitter: @NewsonTV3