The CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Victor Asare Bampoe, says government is taking steps to expand the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to include more non-communicable diseases such as cancers, stroke, and cardiovascular conditions.
According to him, these diseases are becoming a major health burden, and their inclusion in the scheme aligns with government’s broader healthcare agenda.
Bampoe disclosed this during a working visit to the Bono East Region as part of his national tour of health facilities. While visiting the Holy Family Hospital in Techiman, which serves as a temporary regional hospital, he praised the facility for its exceptional service delivery and flexible billing system.
“I now understand why people say it’s the best health facility in the region. Congratulations to the management of this facility for the wonderful work you are doing. I think you deserve a round of applause,” he stated.
He further disclosed that government has uncapped funds for the NHIS to enable smooth and timely disbursement of finances to healthcare providers.
“The Ministry of Finance has also adhered to Act 852, which mandates that funds accrued to the NHIA be transferred within thirty days. This means we can pay providers more regularly and help stop illegal charges to patients,” he added.
Bampoe recalled a key moment that reshaped his outlook: “I remember something which was said to me, ‘Do you want to keep making music for five hundred fans or do you want to make music for five hundred million?’ And that really put a lot of perspective on what I was doing.”
He commended the Bono East Region as the cradle of health insurance in Ghana, noting that Nkoranza District played a pioneering role in starting health insurance in the country.
“Bono East continues to be the top-performing region in terms of revenue generation and enrolment. It has some of the best facilities and has consistently led in institutionalising health insurance,” he stated.
He further stated that the vision for Bono East reflects the national vision of the President to extend health insurance coverage to more Ghanaians.
“When His Excellency President John Mahama was campaigning, he talked about ‘Mahama Cares’, which focused on expanding NHIS coverage to include non-communicable diseases such as cancers, strokes, cardiovascular problems, and renal failure, as well as free primary healthcare.”
“As part of this vision, we also want to ensure that the customer experience in health facilities is improved. We are addressing the issue of illegal payments by patients and working to eliminate such practices,” he said.
Leadership of the Holy Family Hospital expressed gratitude to the NHIA for adding cancers to the list of covered diseases under the scheme. Dr Jacqueline Asibey Gyampomaa, Clinical Coordinator and paediatrician at the facility, noted that about 95% of their patients are NHIS subscribers.
“I always compare the days when cancers were not covered by NHIS and now, and the difference is significant. It has really helped us in our service delivery. What I will plead is that NHIA should try hard to include sickle cell treatments and also enhance the packages for children under five years,” she said.
Victor Asare Bampoe also interacted with the leadership of the Bono East Regional Coordinating Council led by the Regional Minister to assess challenges facing NHIA operations in the region. Issues discussed included inadequate vehicles, limited office space, and staffing shortages.
Report by Dauda Zul-Kiful for Asaase News in the Bono East Region
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