Operational challenges affect NHIS beneficiaries in Sunyani Municipality

Beneficiaries of the National Health Insurance Scheme in the Sunyani Municipality are in a state of dilemma, as the scheme faced huge operational challenges, denying them opportunity to renew their membership.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) investigations revealed that the main office and other outpost sites in the Municipality had been closed down since last month due to lack of registration materials and other logistics for renewals.

During a visit to the scheme’s main office in Sunyani around 1000 hours showed that all the doors to the office were locked, and there was no staff on duty.

That notwithstanding, some nursing mothers whose membership cards and that of their children had expired were sighted at the office in their bid to renew their membership.

Other new applicants, mostly expectant mothers and women with children were also seen arriving at the office to register with the scheme.

Some of them told the GNA in an interview that they had been visiting the office since last week, but had not met any staff to attend to them.

Efforts made to contact Mr Patrick Kuagbenu Koku, the Sunyani Municipal Manager of the scheme was unsuccessful as his mobile phone line was switched-off.

The situation was however, slightly different at the Sunyani West District office of the NHIS.

Mr Paul Kusi, the Scheme’s Manager told the GNA that because of some challenges, the scheme was only doing membership renewals.

He said currently it had no registration materials and logistics to register new entrants, but assured that his outfit would receive stationeries by today.