‘Mahama’s govt has lost focus and direction’

The announcement of the suspension of the one-time National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) Premium Policy by government, according to a member of the communication team of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), raises doubts about the focus and direction of the President John Mahama-led administration.

A communiqué issued on Tuesday by stakeholders in the health sector said given the evidence available, the implementation of a one-time premium policy now would be premature.

“Multi-faceted alternative revenue sourcing strategy, which is consistent with Ghana’s fiscal environment and ensures a deepening and widening of the existing funding pool, as well as stability in revenue generation, is urgently needed,” it said.

But in reaction to this communiqué on Okay Fm, Davies Opoku said the “NPP knew from the onset this one time premium policy was and can be impossible to implement because insurances in the world have never been paid once.”

“…we were wondering how much money people will have to pay which will be enough to take care of them for the rest of their lives. We have always maintained that the one-time premium policy is not sustainable and we cannot accept it to be a good policy which will stand forever,” he noted. .

He stated that the suspension of the one-time premium policy has rather exposed the NDC as assuming power through lies. He, however, wants the Chief Executive Officer of National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr. Sylvester Mensah to come out and explain to Ghanaians the setbacks in the implementation of the one-time premium policy.

“…we are not getting money to develop the country, there are no project currently on-going and we are saying that we are enjoying Better Ghana Agenda; where is the better Ghana?” he quizzed.

To him, President Mahama has lost focus, “he has lost direction and clearly he has shown that even after bribing his way through to power, he is still finding it difficult to govern.”