Government Releases GHS50m To NHIS – Annoh-Dompreh
The Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh has disclosed that the government has re-capitalized the National Health Insurance Scheme.
He said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has released an amount of GHS50 million to the scheme.
The Adoagyiri MP said that the Scheme is one of the beneficiaries of the latest financial release from the government.
“Not just the GH¢25 million goods and services. There was also a release of GH¢50 million to the NHIS,” Mr. Annoh Dompreh said.
“And that has been confirmed by the Controller and NHIA has also accordingly confirmed the amount,” he added.
The Minority in Parliament had been complaining that the government had failed to fulfil its obligations to these providers since July 2021.
According to the Minority, the scheme is collapsing under the Akufo-Addo administration.
The Member of Parliament for Juaboso, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh addressing the press on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, said the collapse of the NHIS is not because of inadequate funds or inadequate legislation but “purely as the result of poor public financial management of the fund.”
He charged the Minister of Finance to stop the diversion of NHIS funds which he said is in clear violation of the Act establishing the scheme.
“What makes matters even worse is that his lies about the replacement of NHIA cards with Ghana Card are also false. This Year’s allocation provides some GH¢54.60million for the printing of some 2.6million NHIA cards at GH¢21.00 each.
“We cannot continue to lie our way into solving critical national problems. We cannot also continue to ignore flagrant violations of laws enacted to ensure good healthcare for all Ghanaians. We cannot allow the future of the scheme to be hijacked by Nana Akufo-Addo and his law-breaking Finance Minister,” Akandoh stated.
He also indicated that “In 2020 out of the GH¢2.337billion Ghanaians paid as NHIL and SSNIT contributions for the fund, only GH¢790.29m or 31% was released to address claims for the year (2020). 2019 figures were GH¢721.09m out of GH¢1,262.92 or 57%. 2018 figures were GH¢506.80 out of 1,579.49m or 32%. We will want to emphasize that since Nana Akufo-Addo took over as President an average of 41.2% of collections due to the NHIS has been released compared to 73.25% under President Mahama.”
“The National Health Insurance Scheme is collapsing not because of inadequate funds or inadequate legislation but purely as the result of poor public financial management of the fund”, he added.