Government Releases Fund To Pay Arrears Owed Hospitals Under NHIS

The Minister of Health, Sherry Ayittey, says government has released a substantial amount of money to pay arrears owed hospitals under the National Health Insurance Scheme.

Her comments follow threats issued by the Ghana Chamber of Pharmaceuticals, to suspend supply of medicines to hospitals under the NHIS due to delay in reimbursement.

But the Minister says apart from money released last week, the Finance Ministry is about to release another tranche to defray all arrears.

The Health Minister also lamented the high cost of Pharmaceutical products in the country.

Madam Ayittey said she will meet the pharmaceutical chamber for an explanation of the cost build up.

Meanwhile, the Ghana Chamber of Pharmaceuticals, GCP, has warned that it will suspend supply of medicines to hospitals under the National Health Insurance Scheme from the 10th of this month.

In a statement, the Head of Research and Advocacy of the Chamber, Stanley Adjei, said the decision is as a result of the failure of service providers under the NHIS to reimburse distributors for medicines supplied.

The statement said some of the hospitals are in arrears for as far back as May and July, last year.

GCP said delay in the reimbursement by NHIA, is impacting negatively on the financial strength as well as the survival of the distributors.

It says its members have resorted to borrowing from banks at 30% interest rate and sometimes from microfinance institutions at interest rate of 5% monthly in order to bridge the funding gap and sustain supplies to hospitals.