By Samuel Akapule, GNA
Bolgatanga, May 10, GNA - Dr Kofi Issah, the Upper East Regional Director of Health Services, has proposed a broader investment portfolio and the widening of the revenue mobilisation base of the National Health Insurance Scheme to make it sustainable.
Speaking on the theme: “Sustaining the National Insurance Scheme- The role of Stakeholders,” at a stakeholder forum organised by the Regional Directorate of the National Health Insurance Authority to review the annual performance of the Scheme for 2016.
Dr Issah said preventive diseases could be reduced drastically if public health Interventions were vigorously carried out in communities to help sustain the Scheme.
He said communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases are on the increase.
The Director therefore called on corporate bodies to join hands in contributing in various ways to sustain the Scheme and make it meaningful for the ordinary and poor subscribers to access affordable and quality healthcare.
“The reviving community contributions for emergency transport systems and the community pooling for paying premiums to the Scheme need to also be given consideration if we want to sustain the scheme,” he said.
He called on service providers to improve efficiency and show high level of honesty in presenting bills to the Authority for reimbursement.
Dr Issah called on them to set up an endowment fund to mobilise extra resources to meet administrative costs of running their health facilities as well as negotiate effectively for realistic payment mechanisms, provide information on the revolving nature of health insurance claims, and the financial situation they were facing.
He entreated service providers to ensure quality health care delivery, maintain positive staff attitudes and client friendly services, improve claims processing, documentation of patient history, waste, reduce unnecessary medications and avoid prolonging patients’ admissions at their facilities.
The Regional Director expressed regret that one of the major challenges confronting the scheme was its abuse by some clients who attend different health facilities to seek treatment and sometimes even collect drugs for their relatives.
He underscored the need to encompass non-health alternatives such as good housing scheme, good road infrastructure, agriculture and sanitation.
Dr Issah said these non-health alternatives have implications on health in general.
He said proper investments in such sectors could help reduce sicknesses which would invariably bring down the pressure on the scheme.
“The country needs a sustainable insurance scheme to meet the target of Universal Health Coverage by 2030.
“The burden of disease is becoming more complex due to the various transitions the country is undergoing.
“Stakeholders need to have effective and progressive roles towards building a sustainable scheme that meets the aspirations of the government and people of Ghana and also contribute to the socio-economic development of the country”, he said.
The Regional Minister, Mr Rockson Ayine Bukari, lauded the efforts of the management of the Regional Directorate of the Scheme for ensuring good membership drive.
He gave the assurance that government was committed to ensuring that the Scheme succeeded and so had put in place measures to re-tool it to make it more viable.
He said the re-tooling exercise would help address some of the major challenges such as the delay of payment to service providers, accommodation, means of transport and ICT.
The Regional Director of the Scheme, Mr Sebastian Alagpulinsa, stated that the Region in 2016 exceeded its membership drive target of 657,782, representing 59 per cent of the region’s population.
The Region also performed creditable in the mobilisation of premium for the scheme.
He identified claims reimbursement to service providers and office accommodation among others as some the major challenges confronting the Scheme.
GNA
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