The Volta Regional wing of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reieterated its earlier claim that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the region is collapsing due to the huge debt government is owing the service providers.
The NDC in a previous report by Awake News, raised alarm over what it described as the “sorry” state of the NHIS in the Volta Region and drew the attention of government and concerned stakeholders to the situation.
“Facts available to us shows that with the over 260 NHIS accredited facilities in the region, the government is owing service providers for Eleven months, Ten months among others, leading to the lack of better services at most accredited NHIS facilities across the region,” the party stated in a communique.
In a rebbutal, management of the NHIA in the Volta Region denied claims that the scheme owes service providers.
The NHIA management, said it has cleared all debts up to June 2018.
But in response to the rejoinder, the NDC in the Volta Region said they are not “surprised at the response coming from the Regional Director. He is first and foremost the Regional Secretary of the NPP and we do not expect him to paint his government black.”
According to them, the rebuttal from the NHIA failed to provide any counter claim to their position that the scheme is collapsing in the region.
See details of the statement below:
NDC VOLTA
Press Release
NDC INSISTS NHIS IS COLLAPSING IN THE VOLTA REGION
The NDC in the Volta Region is not surprised at the response coming from the Regional Director. He is first and foremost the Regional Secretary of the NPP and we do not expect him to paint his government black.
The claim by the management of the NHIA in the region that they have paid claims up to June 2018 is not new to us in the NDC.
The rebuttal from the NHIA failed to provide any counter claim to our position that the scheme is collapsing in the region.
The statement from the NHIA has rather come to support our stance that the government is owing service providers across the region more than Nine months which is at variant with established laws regarding the payment of claims.
We still stand by our earlier points that the NHIS is collapsing in the region as patients are not given the necessary health care that they deserve under the NHIS.
Here are some incontrovertible facts to support our claims.
1. On the 17th of April 2019 at 9:50 am, one Mr. Emmanuel Avinu sent an email to staffs on the subject ID CARD MANAGEMENT.
In this email he alluded to the fact that there are shortage of ID Cards hence field work for fresh registration should be suspended. This goes to confirm our stand that outreach programs have been suspended by the NHIA in the region.
2. Surprisingly after our release that the NHIA in the region is collapsing, they have sent another email today on the 26th of April 2019 at 10:30am calling for the distribution of cards to the following districts and municipalities in the region.
Adaklu- Anyigbe 300
Akatsi 600
Ho Municipal 1000
Hohoe 800
Jasikan 500
Kadjebi 500
Keta. 800
Ketu. 800
Ketu North 0
Kpando. 600
Krachi East. 500
Krachi West. 500
Nkwanta. 500
North Tongu 300
South Dayi. 300
South Tongu 500
TOTAL – 8,500
We insist that currently the scheme in the region is in financial distress and finding it difficult to pay claims to the hospitals.
Operational funds for the second quarter is yet to be sent thereby having a toll on the district offices hence can not pay their April utility and other operational bills as we speak.
The NDC in the Volta region still insists that the scheme is collapsing in the region hence call on the media to also do an independent verification of the facts in relation to the state of NHIS and service providers in the region.
Attached are some documents of our claim.
Signed:
Volta Regional Communication Outfit of the NDC
S.K Agbleze
Delali Bright Kugbeadzor.
By: Kekeli Kuatsenu/awakenewsonline.com
