‘We’ll resist Akufo-Addo’s plans to divert funds of struggling NHIS’ – Akandoh

The ranking member on the Health Committee in Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh has threatened the Minority will fiercely resist any attempt by the Akufo-Addo government to misappropriate funds meant for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The Juaboso Legislator argued that the NHIS is struggling and cannot pay service providers for services rendered to the Scheme’s subscribers for almost a year because the government keeps using NHIS funds for other projects not aligned to the core mandate of the institution.

Mr Akando who was speaking on Ete Sen on Radio XYZ on Tuesday noted that it was wrong for NHIS funds to be misused in a manner it is done under the Akufo-Addo administration.

“This time around we are going to implement the law to the latter,” he told host Kwame Minkah as he assured that he will follow up to get the Finance Ministry pay claims to the health providers and ensure the funds are used judiciously.

His comment comes at a time a Parliamentary Report of the Committee of the Whole on the Proposed Formula for the disbursement of National Health Insurance Funds for 2019, indicated that part of the NHIS fund was used in paying the allowances of trainee nurses.

An amount of GHS358.85 million was released to the Ministry of Health to help fund the National Health Insurance Scheme but a total of GHS163.66 million of that money was used to pay nurse trainee allowances, the report stated.

Mr Akando who confirmed the said report also indicated that NHIS fund to the tune of GHS238.65 million was also used to support the Ministry of Health and sometimes to build education infrastructure – a situation he bemoaned and attributed to the “near collapse” of the NHIS.

“This is outrageous and unacceptable because the Ministry [of Health] should rather be supporting the NHIS,” he added.

“I’m not against the payment of the allowances. He promised that he will pay the allowances. I didn’t make that promise, but the president must not use the NHIS fund.

“NHIS money is not for supporting of the Health ministry, buying anti-snake venom, paying trainee nurses allowances, and building schools.”

Presidency Feeding on NHIS Fund

He also alleged that the presidency has also been feeding on 25% of the NHIS fund due to the Funds Capping and Realignment Act passed in 2017.

The presidency even feeds on 25% of the fund which is very bad, ” he disclosed, but when asked why it is so he said, “We don’t know what it is being used for…because they [NPP] are in the majority, they passed a law for the presidency to cap part of the funds to the presidency.”

Under the ACT, all allocations to the eight statutory funds must not exceed 25 percent of all government revenue. But Mr Akandoh believes the development is gradually collapsing the NHIS.

He said the subscribers of NHIS has been reducing since the NPP took over power, indicating that the people are not satisfied with the services the Scheme.

As of December 31, 2016, NHIS membership was 10,786000 representing 39% of the country’s population at the time. In 2017, active membership reduced 10,42200 and in 2018 that the NHIA projected an increment of the membership base to be 12.242 million, the active membership reduced to 10,410,000.

“He [Akufo-Addo] said the NHIS is back to life and buoyant but how we can determine that its membership base. As I speak now, NHIS subscribers are reducing. This should tell us that the NHIS is not doing well.”

To him, the reduction in the subscriber base means people are not happy with the NHIS service hence their reluctance to renew the cards when they expire.

Hospitals In Distress

Some health service providers are struggling to render services to subscribers of the NHIS due to the nonpayment of claims by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA).

Last week, The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital (CCTH) in the Central Region threatened to suspend its services to NHIS cardholders following the non-payment of health insurance claims running into millions of Ghana cedis to the hospital.

The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is said to be owing the CCTH GH¢6.175 million for services the facility rendered to subscribers of the NHIS.

In a distress letter the Chief Executive Officer of the CCTH, Dr Eric Kofi Ngyedu had sent the NHIA said “The long delay in the repayment of claims seriously affects cash flow and the operations of the hospital.”

“…It is the considered position of the hospital that the continuous retention of 10 per cent of claims submitted when payments were made continue to affect the ability of the hospital to recover the cost of procuring supplies.

“It has further added to our inability to fully meet our commitment to our suppliers. As of the close of the year 2018, a total amount of GH¢3,189,400.40 had accumulated by way of the 10 per cent retention since October, 2014,” the letter dated dated March 11, 2019 said.