Foreigners are a threat to National Health in Bawku -NHIA official


Officials of the National Health Insurance Authority in Bawku in the Upper East Region have expressed worry over the growing number of foreigners signing up onto the nation’s Health  Insurance Scheme.

Explaining the situation at a stakeholders meeting, Bawku scheme manager for the NHIA, David Samare, revealed  there are “people who are not Ghanaians who are benefiting from the scheme’.

He observed the situation reflected a tendency for foreigners to exploit Ghanaian hospitality.

‘You know Ghanaians we are so generous, we don’t care about what happens to our resources .We sit down and allow people from other countries to enjoy our resources’, the manager lamented.

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is a body established under the National Health Insurance Act 2003, Act 650 to supervise the provision of healthcare services to contributors.

It came to replace the “cash and carry’ system that required cash before access to healthcare can be guaranteed.

This issue of foreigners signing onto the nation’s Health Insurance Scheme, comes weeks after Students Network for Nana Addo (STUNNAD) , some youth belonging to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Eastern Region accused the NHIA branch in Accra of colluding with the Electoral Commission to register minors.

They maintained there are plans to get the minors to register to vote with the biometric cards once registration is opened.

It is also reported that, neighboring nationals mainly Burkinabe and Togolese nationals are impersonating people and getting help from some Ghanaian counterparts to gain cards granting them access to the country’s health Insurance Scheme.

Despite these complaints, Information System Manager for the Health Insurance Authority,Thomas Abanga, has suggested improved information technology to curb this menace facing the authority.

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