Beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Tamale in the Northern Region are now required to make instant payment before their health needs are met.
This is because licensed chemical sellers and other health service providers in the metropolis have finally stopped serving National Health Insurance clients.
Apart from PK Gombila licensed chemical shop at Moshie Zongo in Tamale Township, the angry licensed chemical sellers have reverted to the cash and carry system.
RElated [contextly_sidebar id=”EvnvtjTGLpuYHj4Y28yVZdBFi87nezBh”]Service providers in private health facilities have withdrawn their services to NHIS clients.
Some of them explained to Citi News that the National Health Insurance Authority owed them millions of Cedis.
Authorities of the Nalerigu Baptist Mission Hospital in Nalerigu in the East Mamprusi District recently served notice of rejecting NHIS card holders.
They also accused the NHIA of failing to reimburse them for services delivered NHIS beneficiaries.
It is against this worrying development that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Peoples National Convention (PNC) have jointly issued a statement condemning what they described as poor operationalization of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
NPP Northern Regional Secretary, Sule Salifu and the PNC regional Communications Director, Seidu Abdulai Napodoo added their voice to calls on government to save the NHIS from total collapse.
“We call on the government to wake up from its slumber and ensure that the NHIS does not collapse because of inefficiency and corruption: we also call on the NHIS management to as a matter of urgency pay all monies due service providers to enable them restock and resume providing services to those on the scheme.”
The statement added, “The fact that most service providers have withdrawn their services is a serious matter as hundreds if not thousands of people can no longer benefit from the scheme: they are suffering in silence and we call on all well meaning Ghanaians to speak up against the NHIS management maladministration.”
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By: Abdul Karim Naatogmah/citifmonline.com/Ghana