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| Dignitaries and delegates at the function |
Most Rev. Matthias Kobena Nketsiah, Archbishop of the
Cape Coast Archdiocese has entreated the Government to take a critical look at
the National Health Insurance Scheme to ensure it paid the health facilities
for services they have rendered.
He expressed worry about the situation where the
Scheme owed the service providers over nine months in arrears, describing it as
unfortunate, precarious and a disaster, which is derailing efforts of the
facilities to provide quality healthcare.
The Archbishop stated that it was time the nation
addressed the NHIS indebtedness to service providers to ensure quality healthcare
delivery. “For once let’s stop being politically correct about everything in
this country and tackle the challenges head-on” he reiterated.
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| Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum (with microphone) and other dignitaries. |
Archbishop Nketsiah made the remarks, during the opening
of the 14th Annual Conference of the National Catholic Health
Services at Winneba in the Cape Coast Archdiocese. It was on the theme: “Health Commodities & Safety in
Healthcare Delivery”.
In spite of the challenges their work, the Archbishop
who chaired the function, health professional to continue being compassionate
in reaching out to the sick.
Similarly, Most Rev. Joseph Afrifah-Agyekum, Bishop responsible
for Health at the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference, stated the dire stress
most of the Catholic health facilities were facing due to the delayed
reimbursement.
Shedding light on the biting effects of health
facilities in the rural setting, Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum said the NHIA has
failed to show much commitment to sustain the Scheme and healthcare delivery.
The Bishop questioned how the Scheme expected the
health institutions to stock essential health commodities and honour their
statutory payments, including salaries and contributions to SSNIT and offer
quality healthcare delivery?
“There is urgent need for the Government to address
this persistent issue of delayed provider reimbursement because its implication
is too far reaching for quality of care and staff safety” Bishop
Afrifah-Agyekum noted.
The Bishop called Government to consider reviewing the
benefit package of the Scheme, and decouple the role of the regulator and buyer
of services by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), to remove fraud
from the administration of the Scheme at all levels and ensure payment of
realistic tariffs to providers.
He however added that the Church has not abandoned her
intention to set up its own Scheme in view of the frustrations with the
implementation of the NHIS, which threatens to limit Church health service in
Ghana.
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| Bishop Afrifah-Agyekum (middle) with Archbishop Nketiah, with Fr Lazarous Anondee (S.G at NCS). |
As the country approaches the 2016 December polls, the
Bishop charged health practitioners to be abreast with the happenings in their
communities, so as to activate their emergency systems where necessary, even as
they educate the public to value and maintain peace.
In a homily prior to the opening, Bishop
Afrifah-Agyekum urged health practitioners to be dedicated, more caring and
loving in the discharge of their duties, entreating them not to make the quest
of monetary gain overshadow their work of saving lives. “Your profession is a
vocation and not just work” he stressed.
Mr. Peter K. Yeboah, Executive Director of the Christian
Health Services of Ghana, touching on the chronic delay in reimbursement of
validated claims, expressed concern about NHIA, which instead of facilitating
access to healthcare, was now a barrier to the availability, accessibility and
affordability of health commodities.
“I wish to emphasise that the systematic delay in
reimbursement is perpetuating social injustice and widening health inequalities
by depriving our fellow citizens of appropriate health commodities for safe and
quality healthcare delivery.”
He called for an immediate settlement of the
outstanding debts owed the providers, entreating government to consider the
proposed reforms to ensure the sustainability and efficiency of the
Scheme.
Mr George A. Adjei Esq., Director of National Catholic
Health Service (NCHS), in an address shared some worrying situations some
health facilities were facing, mostly due to the inability to stock relevant
inputs for service delivery.
“The delayed payment of the NHIS with its attendant
economic effects is making all our clinics struggle to keep their operations
going, retool and expand,” he noted.
He announced that the NCHS was focused on giving a new
outlook to its services, in view of the changes in the global health arena and
in the country.
In line with this, he said the Service has reviewed
its vision statement (A Health Service that is best in meeting patient needs
and expectation) and launched a new website during the function.
The Service, he said was also taking its branding
seriously by highlighting the distinctive competencies, and urged the
management and staff of Catholic health facilities to be particular about the
colour schemes, environmental appearance, cleanliness, time of response and
their desire to support quality health care delivery.
He mentioned that the Directorate was re-positioning to
increase its support to the Arch/Dioceses and institutions to be more
efficient, while exploring opportunities for sponsorship from partners to equip
and enhance further training of staff.
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