By Daniel Adu Darko
Accra, Oct. 16, GNA-The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has announced its decision to venture into preventive healthcare.
The Authority has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to that effect
The MoU states that a total number of 3,000 communities in the Asante Akyem Agogo district will benefit from free health screening done by medical students, Health Care Professionals and the Academia from KNUST.
The exercise will also help to generate empirical findings on diabetes and hypertension cases in the catchment area.
Dr Okoe Boye, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Okoe Boye at the signing ceremony, said that Preventive healthcare was a cost-effective means of warding off illnesses and averting future complications that may arise.
The Authority will rather invest in the prevention of illnesses than focus on the payment of healthcare cost
Dr Okoe Boye said that over 60 per cent of adult deaths were related to diabetes and hypertension, thus, investing in them will not only be beneficial to the Authority but also increase the life expectancy of the average Ghanaian adult
“The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) will go a step further to register persons in the earmarked communities unto the Scheme,” he said
Professor Ellis Owusu-Dabo, Pro-vice chancellor of KNUST who led the delegation from KNUST explained that the selection of the Asante Akyem Agogo district was a result of the recording of high cases of non-communicable diseases during preliminary health screening and research within the district.
He said that the partnership with the NHIA will be extended nationwide will help safeguard the healthcare needs of the indigenes, connect them to qualified medical practitioners and also provide them with Health Insurance coverage from the NHIS.
He said that the partnership with the NHIS formed an integral part of the University’s objective to bridge the gap between Services, Research, and Academia.
He pledged KNUST’s readiness to provide the Authority with evidence-based data that will inform the NHIA’s roadmap towards full absorption of preventive healthcare on the Scheme.
GNA