A procedure to scrap the existing health insurance card and replace it with the Ghana Card for the same original reason has been initiated by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).
The piloting of the change-over will begin in October 2020 in smaller units for individuals over the age of 14 with a Ghana Card until it will be carried out across the country on a larger scale.
The pilot will be rolled out slowly at designated places, and children aged 14 and under will continue to use their National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards to access health coverage during the period before they have access to the Ghana Card.
For conditions protected by the scheme, the NHIS card is used to access healthcare at approved hospitals.
This was announced last Sunday at Morso in the Asante Akim South District in the Ashanti Region by the Chief Executive Officer ( CEO) of the authority, Dr. Lydia Baaba Dsane-Selby, during a registration exercise for citizens on the NHIS, courtesy of a GH ⁇ 10,000 sponsorship by the community’s Adontenhene, Nana Otuo Acheampong.
As Nana Acheampong ‘s gesture extended to include over 500 Morso people, the NHIA also renewed expired cards for people.
Interest
Dr. Dsane-Selby encouraged Ghanaians to take a particular interest in the Ghana Card’s use, saying that it had come to remain and that nothing could affect its longevity.
She said the storm had subsided by careful management, which, she said, had returned the scheme to its present condition, while the NHIS had gone through some severe challenges.
She regretted the actions of certain health facilities who, even though the patients reported health problems protected under the NHIS, took money from clients before supplying them with the necessary resources.
For example, she said that whilst the medication for snakebite was captured under the system, there were also stories from around the world that individuals were paying for snakebite medication.
She said the NHIS was one of the country ‘s strongest social intervention policies ever implemented and thus encouraged cardholders to question healthcare providers who advised them that they did not apply for NHIS assistance under their health conditions.
Opportunity
Nana Acheampong, Chairman of the Board of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA), claimed that his goal was to provide his citizens with free registration and renewal of health insurance and ensure that they have the ability to access health coverage, whether or not they have resources.
He said it was a public duty to promote the welfare of people in the health care sector to supplement the government’s initiative to provide people with health care, regardless of their financial or social standing.
He vowed his ongoing support to raise the quality of life for the people of the city.
Quality healthcare
Dr. Philip Bannor, CEO of HeFRA, emphasized the need for everyone to commit to ensuring quality healthcare delivery in the region.
He called on health sector players to continue to do their best to ensure that the provision of health care in Ghana has been strengthened to improve health care.
He shared the expectation that many more people will be well enough with good healthcare delivery to sustain the nation’s growth.
Nana Kyei Baffour, Manwerehene of Morso, thanked Nana Acheampong, who is also a banking consultant, for his unwavering support for the growth of the city and its residents.
Source: https://www.graphic.com.gh/
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