Outgoing chief executive officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and also minister-designate for health, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye, has warned health facilities in the country to desist from the attitude of extorting money from NHIA subscribers.
Okoe-Boye said this in Damongo during the commissioning of a new regional NHIA office complex for the Savannah Region.
“Health facilities must improve their behaviour towards the Authority’s beneficiaries who seek medical attention at hospitals.”
“As we work hard to address the problems, we expect health facilities to improve their behaviour. This attitude of taking money for everything when people have the National Health Insurance Scheme must stop now”, Dr Okoe-Boye added.
“I’m happy to announce that we have issued letters to those facilities notorious for taking money. This went out a few weeks ago, and I have gotten very good feedback,” he said.
He indicated that some behaviours have changed since his office sent letters to those facilities. He noted that quality healthcare delivery should not be only at private hospitals but also at public hospitals, which deserve better services.
To check and deal with the issue, the outgoing CEO mentioned that the scheme will launch the NHIA experience stand initiative that will have their staff at the various hospitals to ensure they address the complaints of beneficiaries.
He said he is very happy that the Akufo-Addo government has supported the NHIA with funds, which many health facilities can attest to and went further to disclose that the NHIA paid an average of GHC170 million every 30 days in the last 24 months to health facilities across the country which in the past used not to be so.
In his part, Savanah Regional Minister Saeed Muhazu Jibril expressed worry about the level of infrastructural development and logistics in the region.
He urged the staff of the NHIA to continue their tireless efforts towards quality health care delivery in the Savannah Region.
Savannah regional manager of the NHIA chief Dauda Mahama commended the NHIA for providing the region with such a beautiful office complex and assured them that proper care would be taken to ensure the office remained in good shape.
Reporting by Tahiru Abdul-Washiru in the Savannah region
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