Good Job Done, NHIA!

NHIS Boss, Mr. Sylvester Mensah

NHIS Boss, Mr. Sylvester Mensah



Accra, August 06, 2014- The Universal Access to Health Care Campaign (UAHC) has welcomed the suspension of four (4) health facilities by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) from providing service to NHIS subscribers. The facilities are North Western Eye Centre at Mataheko, Community Clinic also at Mataheko, Family Maternity Home at Dansoman and Adwoa Boatemaa Memorial Clinic all in Accra.

The health facilities were suspended for offences ranging from illegally taking monies from subscribers for services already covered under the NHIS, operating under poor standards and or inflating claims. These, according to the NHIA, contradict existing agreements between the Authority and service providers. This came to light following routine clinical audit inspections carried out at these health facilities. According to the Communications Manager of the NHIA, Selorm Adonoo, “the Authority finds the conduct of these facilities a breach of contract, and therefore unacceptable for them to continue providing service on account of the NHIS when they cannot adhere to basic conditions of engagement.

In a press release, the National Coordinator of UAHC, Sidua Hor noted that, for some time now, a number of NHIS clients have had several challenges in accessing healthcare services and these experiences are in the form of illegal co-payments, stock-outs and denial of some basic but essential services such as x-rays and scanning. The Campaign is willing to work with the NHIA to monitor NHIS accredited facilities across the country to ensure that NHIS clients get the best of care.

The Campaign is also calling on the NHIA to speed up payment due all its accredited health facilities. This, according to the Campaign, is in response to the ongoing suspension of the supply of medicines on credit to all health facilities under NHIS since 1st August, 2014. According to Ghana’s Chamber of Pharmacy, the suspension signifies possible medicine shortage in the affected health facilities and patients may bear the burden of paying for medicines covered under the NHIS.

Meanwhile, the Universal Access to Healthcare Campaign (UAHC) has described Government’s 100-day Contingency Plan to Fight Cholera, as a knee-jerk approach. The Campaign believes that the fight against Cholera is not about instituting a 100-day Contingency Plan but rather a systemic issue that has to be dealt with by addressing environmental fundamentals of poor sanitation, poor water supply and bad drainage. The Campaign urged Ghanaians to keep their surroundings clean, wash their hands before and after meals and eat hot food always.

SIGNED
Sidua Hor
National Coordinator
Universal Access to Healthcare Campaign
020 770 8938/ 0272056410

The Universal Access to Health Care Campaign is a National Campaign driven by a network of Local and International NGOs including the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR), ISODEC, Essential Service Platform, SEND Ghana, and Coalition of NGOs in Health.

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