Ghana’s NHIS is the best in Africa - Mahama

President John Mahama has hailed Ghana’s health insurance scheme, describing it as the best on the African continent.

According to him, some of the services offered by the NHIS are unrivaled, even in some western countries.

The President said “Ghana has the best health insurance in the whole of Africa. The best health insurance in the whole of Africa, because if you look at some of the diseases covered by our health insurance, no other scheme in Africa covers them.”

Mr Mahama made the comments while addressing an excited crowd at a mini rally at Abofour in the Offinso South constituency of the Ashanti region.

He said his government has proposed that part of the oil proceeds be used to support funding of the health insurance scheme.

The President cited diseases like hernia and breast cancer which are covered by Ghana’s health insurance scheme but are not covered by many other schemes in Africa.

“We are going to expand the National Health Insurance scheme. Ghana has the best health insurance in the whole of Africa. The best health insurance in the whole of Africa, because if you look at some of the diseases covered by our health insurance, no other scheme in Africa covers them.

“Some schemes cover only malaria, diarrhea, typhoid, that’s all. But in Ghana, we cover all these diseases including even those that require surgery. For instance, many schemes in Africa do not cover Hernia unlike Ghana. Even breast cancer which is not covered by insurance schemes even abroad is covered by Ghana’s NHIS. We have more medicines on the scheme than any other African country as well. We have over 500 medicines approved for NHIS card holders who visit hospitals.”

The President’s comments come on the back of the persistent claim by the New Patriotic Party that the health scheme is collapsing.