The Minority in Parliament has accused the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, of spending funds on unnecessary programmes.
According to the Minority Spokesperson on Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandor, the allocation of NHIS funds of about GHC 5 million for corporate social responsibility amounts to nothing but wasteful spending at a time the scheme is struggling.
The scheme has reportedly also allocated GHC 300 million for ICT infrastructure, GHC 10 million for restructuring among other allocations.
“A lot of things are going on at the NHIA that we need to come together and fight. Will you believe that almost every region, the NHIA owes them. Just yesterday, the Daily Graphic reported that the Cape Coast Hospital was in distress and almost every region was owing three months, four months and in some cases five months. And the amount of money the NHIA is investing in other non-core functions is amazing.
“We [NHIA] are putting not less than 300 million into ICT. We are putting not less than 5 million into social corporate responsibility. If you look at the formula, they said they need GHC 10 million for restructuring. After budgeting more than 300 million for ICT, what kind of restructuring again are they talking about? It is quite alarming. They are now deducting money from the NHIS to fund these programmes. As I speak to you now, we did not get an assurance from the Minister to settle these arrears. It will interest you to know membership for the NHIS is gradually reducing. People are simply losing interest in the NHIS,†Mr. Akandor said on Citi FM.
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His comments come in the wake of concerns by the Cape Coast Hospital over the non-payment of health insurance claims running into millions of Ghana cedis.
The Daily Graphic gathered that the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) owes the CCTH GH¢6.175 million for services the facility rendered to patients under the NHIS.
The amount represents eight months (May to December last year) of claims submitted to the NHIA.
But the National Health Insurance Authority, NHIA, will soon pay debts they owe Cape Coast Hospital and other hospitals in the country.
According to the acting CEO of NHIA, Dr Lydia Dsane Selby the budget has been approved and they will begin discussions with the Finance Ministry to pay the Hospitals they owe.
“We owe some hospitals about 6 months’ worth of their NHIA services. Now that our budget has been approved, we can begin discussions with the finance ministry about releasing our fundsâ€
“It takes about 3 months for NHIA claims to be filed. We are now seeing the claims of those who were treated in December If every facility brought their claims within two months and we cleared within 2 months, they would get it quickly,†she added.