NPP criticizes the one-time premium NHIS proposal by NDC

Koforidua, Oct. 28, GNA - The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over its proposal to introduce a one-time premium for people who want to register for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) if it wins the December general election.

Speaking to staff of Koforidua Regional Hospital on Monday as part of his four-day campaign tour of some parts of the Eastern Region, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, presidential candidate of the NPP, explained that the proposal of the NDC could endanger the NHIS. He said the NPP believed that the NDC might come out with either a high premium that would make it impossible for people who want to register with the scheme or the premium would be so low that it could collapse the scheme through cash flow difficulties as more and more Ghanaians signed on.

Nana Akufo-Addo said the "NDC is wrong for opposing the passage of the bill for the establishment of the scheme, wrong to criticize the scheme and wrong to suggest a single premium that may collapse the scheme".

He said the NPP recognized the need for reforms in the NHIS and proposed efforts to reduce paperwork and speeding up the processing of applications as well as payment to health providers for their service. Nana Akufo-Addo called for early completion of the ongoing production of a centralized data-base that would enhance portability and reduce unnecessary paperwork and proposed better training of NHIS staff to enhance professionalism and accountability.

He promised that if he is elected into office in December, his government would build a new Regional Hospital for Koforidua for the current one to be turned into a district hospital. Earlier in a welcoming address, the Director of Koforidua Regional Hospital, Dr Obeng Apori, proposed the upgrading of all regional hospitals into teaching hospitals with improvement in their equipment to enhance the training of health staff.