NPP MP: MPs are not paid Ghc3600 from NHIS coffers quarterly

Hon. Ignatius Baffour Awuah, the Member of Parliament for Sunyani West has vehemently disavowed the assertion that an amount of GHc3600 is given to each parliamentarian every three months from the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) fund.

“Nothing is done in hiding with regards to Parliament. Everything that has to be done with the NHIS, is debated on the floor and I state categorically that it is not true that we take that amount every quarter, if they have now decided to give us that amount, I don’t know but we don’t receive any amount like that,” he clarified.

The MP’s denial of the allegation comes as a result of Dr. Kweku Afriyie, former Minister of Health in the Kufuor administration condemned members of Parliament, especially the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of which he is a member, for each drawing a sum of GHc3600 every three months from the NHIS fund.

The Former Minister of health bemoaned the state of affairs with respect to the National Health Insurance Scheme which was rolled out during his tenure as the sector minister, arguing that the payment being made to Parliamentarians is a deviation from the reasons for which it was set up.

However, Ignatius Baffour Awuah stated on Adom FM Parliamentarians do not receive the said amount but what happens is “in devising a formula for the disbursement of the NHIS funds, MPs are made to propose a project but even the proposal is written by the District Health Directorate and endorsed by the MP”.

“So if you come to my constituency and I propose the rehabilitation of the Maternity Ward of the Chiraa Health Center and if money from the NHIS is used to restore the place, there is nothing wrong with that. In fact the money does not come to the Member of Parliament. It goes straight to the District Directorate of Health Services,” Hon. Awuah explained.

He maintained that, It was wrong for Dr. Kweku Afriyie to create the impression that MPs are contributing to the collapse of the NHIS by receiving huge monies which are not being used for projects that go to benefit their constituents.