Jirapa hospital faces closure over NHIA indebtedness - Yilleh Chireh

A ranking member of the Health Committee in Parliament, Joseph Yilleh Chireh has revealed that the Jirapa St. Joseph’s hospital in the Upper West Region faces closure if government fails to settle its indebtedness to the facility.

According to him, the delay in the use of an NHIA formula in disbursing funds to health institutions is gravely affecting their operations and therefore demands that government speeds up the processes in getting them paid.

“They must immediately constitute a board so that they bring the formula for disbursement in accordance with the National Health Insurance Act to parliament to facilitate the processes to ensure that the service providers are paid to continue delivering their services.”He stated.

He wondered why it is taking so long for government to constitute a board to resolve NHIA payment of issues when President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo told parliament he was in a hurry to fix the economy.

Last month, authorities of the hospital asked clients of the facility to brace up for a return to the “cash and carry system” if claims owed them by National Health Insurance Authority is not paid.

Medical Superintendent of the St. Joseph’s hospital, Dr. Richard Wudah-Seme said promises made to pay the amount at the end of April have yielded no results.

As at the end of March 2017, the NHIA owed the facility 14 months claims amounting to 3,144,617cedis, he said.

This also come on the heels of calls by revelation by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) that its members are being dragged to court following the National Health Insurance Authority's (NHIA) failure to settle its indebtedness to them.

According to them, the NHIA owes these institutions a total of GH¢200 million being arrears for services rendered in the year 2016 alone.

General Secretary of the Christian Council of Ghana, Rev. Dr. Opuni-Frimpong who revealed this on Accra-based Okay Fm, said suppliers are no longer willing to extend more credits to them because they have not been able to settle their indebtedness which has accrued for over a year.

“Some of these suppliers are dragging the institutions to court and government promises and never meets the promises. They will tell us in two months, two months will expire and nothing will be seen. The GH¢ 200 million excludes the arrears for 2017. What we are currently pursuing is for 2016”, he revealed.