Initiate measures to incorporate private health providers into NHIS

Kumasi, Aug 8, GNA - The Society of Private Medical and Dental Practitioners (SPMDP), has called on the government to initiate measures for visible incorporation of the private health providers into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

This, it said demanded entering into negotiations with them on the payment systems to be used in the scheme.

These were contained in a six-point communiqu=E9 issued and signed jointly by the National Chairman, Dr Lawrence Takyi Ofosu and Dr John A. Appiah, the Secretary, at the end of the 26th annual general meeting of the Society in Kumasi on Sunday.

It demanded that health insurance organisations should be encouraged to work only with properly registered private practitioners registered with the Society.

The communiqu=E9 drew attention to the need for all private and dental practitioners to join the SPMDP and always work through it for the smooth implementation of the NHIS to ensure a high sense of professionalism and openness.

It also called for the promotion of access to public funding to develop infrastructure of the private facilities. Helping to make private practice much more attractive, it pointed out, could stem the brain drain of young doctors and attract those abroad to return.