NDC manifesto promises on health already implemented – Twum Nuamah

The governing New Patriotic Party(NPP) says the National Democratic Congress’s(NDC) promises on health have already been implemented by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo government.

The party has therefore questioned the basis for the policy proposals in the ‘People’s Manifesto’ on health such as the free primary healthcare.

Speaking on the Morning Starr, Chairman of parliament’s Health committee Dr Kwabena Twum Nuamah argued Akufo-Addo administration is already implementing the free primary healthcare and some other promises.

“After the Sustainable Development Goals were enacted, we have what we call the universal health coverage, and in Ghana, our plan to achieve it is the primary health care system. And the funding mechanism that we NPP government is proposing is to use the existing structure which is the health insurance system to fund it.”

“And what is left to make it complete is the health prevention, health promotion aspect i.e people having the chance to do medical exams, education, being paid by the health insurance. Wellness centres have already started with the support of GIZ, you go to Dodowa, you go to Legon hospital and Tema, they are already there.”

He added, “but the NDC says they want to do that, we are doing it.”

He said the NDC should rather say they will scale-up the policy instead of purporting to be the initiators.

He told host Francis Abban on Thursday “once the thing has started, you can say you want to scale it up but don’t make it look like you are going to begin. ‘Like they are saying they are going to provide free anti-snake serum’, it has always been free in Ghana, so why must you put it in your manifesto.”

“And then they say they are going to introduce a payment arrangement for the cost of treatment and drugs for all pensioners. The health insurance, every pensioner doesn’t pay a premium,” he ended.