Group calls for NHIS cover for unsafe abortion

A civil society group IPA is making a bold argument asking government to include abortion treatment to the NHIS.

According to the group it will make more sense and come as a great benefit to the country when the culturally prohibited act is listed onto the scheme.

The group argued that the move will rather lessen financial burden on the scheme if the cost is absorbed by the NHIS.

Speaking at a sensitization program in Tamale the advocacy Chairman of the group, Philip Duah stated that when the treatment is added to the scheme it will help prevent needless deaths and complications.

"If the treatment is provided at an affordable cost then we can reduce the unsafe abortion and the death and complications associated with abortion’. The point we are trying to make here is that when they start in the house and they come to the facility then the health insurance will now cover because they are now dealing with complications" He stated.

He debunked assertions that the move will rather encourage women to go in for abortions just because the treatment being covered.

"We can make abortion services more friendly, more readily available with more skill providers being placed within the facility so that they can perform their services at a very lower cost, if we do this i know that we may think that women will rather be pushed to go and do abortion, no, they will not." He emphasized.