SAVE THE NHIS (JUNE 1, 2010)

HEALTH insurance is serious business and in many developed countries huge sums of money and quality personnel are usually committed to ensuring the success of the scheme.
The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) introduced by the previous government was hailed as a critical policy which had the promise of ensuring that Ghanaians access quality health care.
But ever since its introduction, the scheme has been bogged down by many challenges, including difficulties related to the issuance of health insurance cards and also the payment of claims to health care providers.
These challenges threaten the effectiveness of the scheme and the caution issued by the Ghana Medical Association (GMA) in relation to the fate of the scheme no doubt paints a disturbing picture of gloom and doom.
The GMA, at the end of its third National Executive Council meeting at Tegbi near Keta, said the NHIS was collapsing and urged President John Evans Atta Mills to make a personal intervention to save the scheme from collapsing.
According to the GMA, most facilities owed substantial amounts in medicines and consumables procured on credit, adding that as a result, suppliers were no longer willing to supply on credit.
Although the Deputy Director of Corporate Affairs of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr Eric Ametor-Quarmyne, has disputed that claim, the DAILY GRAPHIC believes that the concerns expressed by the GMA must not be dismissed with a wave of the hand.
This is because being the men and women on the ground, members of the GMA are faced, on a daily basis, with the health challenges of the people and are very well placed to comment on the country’s health prospects and challenges.
The relevance of their concerns is also accentuated by concerns that have already been expressed by some health administrators in respect of the payment of health insurance claims.
The DAILY GRAPHIC has no doubt that the government is committed to ensuring that the citizenry are healthy enough to be able to contribute more meaningfully to the national development agenda. However, there is the need to aggressively pursue that commitment.
We are aware that more people have registered under the scheme and that appears to be putting so much pressure on it.
The DAILY GRAPHIC duly notes the explanation offered by Mr Ametor-Quarmyne that the arrangement made with the health facilities would always leave some debts unpaid. According to him, in 2009 alone, GH¢372 million was paid to service providers, adding that the NHIA would continue to make payments.
While that is commendable, it is important to note that for as long as the scheme does not meet the expectations of the people, then they are likely to express their right to grumble.
That is why it is also important for the scheme managers to address the weaknesses that mitigate against the efficient utilisation of resources allocated to the scheme.
Health is wealth and health should receive the government’s priority attention to help build a stronger citizenry capable of effectively meeting the rigorous demands of their daily schedules.
The GMA has declared its intention to focus its annual lecture at the College of Physicians and Surgeons on August 25, 2010 on the way forward for the NHIS. We are hopeful that this will be pursued in a very constructive manner to help make the NHIS very efficient and effective to cater for the health needs of the people.