Queen Máxima Makes Fresh Demand Over NHIS as She Meets Ghanaian Patients

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands has called for Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to cover digital healthcare services, raising an important issue about the extra costs patients continue to face even when they have health insurance.

Her appeal comes at a time when many Ghanaians are looking for ways to reduce the cost of medical treatment, especially those living with long-term conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.

The Queen made the call during a meeting with healthcare providers and policymakers at Manna Mission Hospital in Accra as part of her four-day visit to Ghana. She was particularly interested in understanding why some patients with NHIS coverage still had to pay for certain medical services from their own pockets.

“Having health insurance is a very important part because it’s one of the very big items of unforeseen costs for people,” she said.

She acknowledged Ghana’s progress in expanding health insurance coverage but pointed out that patients continued to spend considerable amounts on healthcare despite being insured.

The Queen also said she wanted to learn from Ghana’s experience and explore ways to reduce these additional expenses, which can place pressure on household finances.

Her comments followed an interaction with three patients receiving care under a Value-Based Care initiative developed by PharmAccess Ghana, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the Christian Health Association of Ghana.

The initiative uses a digital platform called NkwaPlus to help patients with hypertension and diabetes monitor their health from home. They can record their blood pressure readings and send the information to medical professionals, who can advise them on the next steps.

The system is expected to reduce unnecessary hospital visits, save patients transport costs and help doctors identify health problems earlier.

However, there is one major challenge. While the NHIS covers hospital consultations under the programme, the digital monitoring service is not yet covered. Patients therefore have to pay for that part of their care themselves.

This is the gap Queen Máxima wants Ghana’s health authorities to address.

The pilot has already recorded some encouraging results. The number of participating patients whose blood pressure was under control increased from 50 per cent to 57.1 per cent after 12 months. More than 90 per cent also said they would recommend the service.

NHIA Chief Executive Officer Dr Victor Asare Bampoe said increased funding had created opportunities to improve the Scheme, but stressed the need to focus on the results achieved with the money.

The discussions identified the possible introduction of NHIS payment arrangements for digital healthcare services such as NkwaPlus.