‘Prioritise Retooling of NHIS’-Gov’t urged

Dignitaries at the Conference

To ensure equity in health care coverage, and safeguard access to healthcare services as well as financial risk protection against the cost of quality healthcare, Government has been entreated to prioritise the retooling of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Most Rev. Philip Naameh, Metropolitan Archbishop of Tamale, and President of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference (GCBC), recently said that “in its present state, the NHIS needs to be strengthened to enable it to respond to the needs and demands of patients, public and service providers”.

The Archbishop made the appeal at the 52^nd Annual Conference of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) in Tamale recently, under the theme: Ghana’s Journey towards Universal Health Coverage: The Role of CHAG. 

By strengthening the NHIS, the Archbishop argued that it will enable the National Health Authority to fulfill its legitimate obligations to Service Providers on time, in terms of prompt reimbursements and payment of economic tariff structure, which would serve as an enabler and co-driver to the attainment of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Ghana.

The Archbishop said “the UHC journey is only possible when dedicated health professionals imbibe the missionary spirit to serve needy populations in unreached segments of the society,” and urged Service Providers to ensure efficient service provision that champions the Culture of Health and promote a supportive environment.

Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Minister for Health, said in spite of Ghana health system having infrastructure, primary health care, and financial protection, we still have “massive problematic inefficiencies” in the health system that needs to be addressed.

To this end, he said the Ministry of Health is in the process of outdooring a road map to improve health care delivery and the attainment of the Universal Health Coverage by 2030, and invited CHAG to also make inputs into the roadmap.

He said plans were afoot to put in checks and also clean the system of inefficiency in the NHIS so that it offers the best to the public.

Similarly, Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, CEO of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), in a keynote address stated that UHC is a global phenomenon and Ghana is making a bid to be the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve UHC especially with its domestic resources.

She observed that the NHIA and the Ministry of Finance have done an extensive reconciliation and were paying outstanding claims to the health facilities up to December 2018.

Dr. Dsane-Selby further noted that her outfit has also started clearing the arrears from January 2019 and possibly to March 2019, adding that payments would be regular from there in a bid to catch up. “We hope that this will curtail the phenomenon of co-payments which has crept in defeating the purpose of NHIS and Universal Health Coverage” she stressed.

Presenting his report, Mr. Peter K. Yeboah, Executive Director of CHAG, the network has “with barely 7.5 % of health infrastructure in Ghana, in 2018, contributed 32.1% of national in-patient care/admissions and 22.0% of national OPD services”.

Peter K. Yeboah

To ensure Quality Improvement Initiatives, he noted that CHAG would scale up the WHO Quality of Care Patient Safety Initiative in CHAG facilities and support PharmAccess and other partners to embark on comprehensive quality improvement programme for the entire network. 

He said in its bid to offer the urban poor and needy access to healthcare, some Churches have been establishing healthcare facilities in needy urban environments, adding that the intent is not to duplicate but fill gaps and overlaps in access to quality service provision and to complement government journey towards UHC.

The Executive Director, noting the need for CHAG to reposition itself as a reliable partner in the movement towards making UHC a reality in Ghana by 2030, called on member facilities to work together with a refocused passion that reflects the needs of our clients, and a renewed presence and visual identity to lead the national and international stage, backed by a rejuvenated purpose to “inspire our clients, our staff and the community to push for more”.

EVAG assists Centre of Hope

The Event Vendors Association of Ghana (EVAG), has presented assorted items to the Centre of Hope at Abossey Okai, Accra, to support the Centre serves the needs of its beneficiaries.

The donation, the first the by association was part of activities commemorating the first anniversary of EVAG, which was under the theme: Touching Lives with Every Step.

Mrs. Kate Hassan, President of the Association, who also donated a cheque for GH ¢3,000, said the gesture was to assist the Centre meet the needs of the marginalised in society.

Sr. Paulina Ollo, FMM, who received the donation on behalf of the Administrator of the Centre, thanked the Association for their kind gesture.

She briefed the gathering on the day-to-day activities of the Centre and the number of beneficiaries it takes care of and noted that inadequate funding was a challenge.

Mrs. Theresa Ntiamoah-Marfo, Vice-Chairperson of the Board of the Centre, also touched on the initiative of the late Archbishop Dominic K. Andoh of Accra, who established the Centre to attend to the urban poor, including orphans, persons with disability, and cured lepers as well as those with HIV/AIDS and the marginalised in society.

She commended EVAG for their kindness and appealed to philanthropists and corporate organisations to come to the aid of the Centre.

Members of the Association interacted with beneficiaries and entertained them with good music, while some of the beneficiaries of the Centre staged some performances, including poetry recitals at the programme.

As an association for event vendors, organisers, and management, which was launched in August, 2018, Mrs. Hassan said it aims at bringing all those in the event organising and management industry together, to collaborate and help members to build a better industry.

Mrs. Hassan noted that the association also promotes and encourages the highest level of ethics within the industry, while maintaining the highest standard of professional conduct, and improve the standards through forum, seminars for players to give of their best.

Mr. Ato Kwamena Attuquayefio, Vice President of the Association noted that with over 70 members, the group is committed to maintaining excellence in the industry and to provide standardized service to their clients. 

The Association prior to the donation  had a walk through some principal streets of Accra. 

* Mrs. Hassan presenting the cheque to Sr. Paulina, while some Board Members of the Centre and Members of the Association looked on.