Association of District Mutual Health Insurance staff embark on strike

Kumasi, July 23, GNA- The Association of District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme Staff of Ghana, has announced that it would embark on a strike action to press home their demand for the removal of Mr Ras Boateng, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (MHIA), as from today, Wednesday, July 23. A statement signed by Messrs Stephen Kwaku Kankam and Kingsley Bobie, National President and General Secretary respectively, said the decision followed the inability of the Minister of Health to acknowledge and address a petition sent to him cataloguing the "sins" of the embattled CEO.

The 16-page petition, which was addressed to the Minister on June 19, accused Mr Boateng of acts of illegalities, irregularities, ineffectiveness and inefficiency in the performance of his work. It also accused him of corporate dictatorship and double-standards as he had been sending conflicting directives to reverse legitimate decisions of the District Board of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The petition further bemoaned the failure of the CEO to appreciate and implement cardinal concepts of the NHIS programme such as cross-subsidization and risk equalization due to his inadequate knowledge of the NHIS policy. The statement therefore called for the outright removal of Mr Boateng to enhance the successful implementation of the NHIS programme. It stated that the strike would last two weeks and that the Association would take further industrial actions if their demands were not met. 23 July 08