By Laudia Sawer
Tema, July 4, GNA – The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has presented a credentialing certificate to the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in Tema to commence providing health services to National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) registrants.
Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, the Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, who presented the certificate at a ceremony at IMaH, said this would enable residents and the public to access quality health care the hospital provided with their NHIS card.
Dr. Okoe Boye said even though there was pressure on other public health institutions in and around Tema, especially the Tema General Hospital, most people could not access healthcare at IMaH due to financial issues, a situation he said the introduction of the NHIS at the hospital would cure.
He debunked assertions in the public that the scheme had collapsed, saying that it was still active and had about 17.2 million active members, which he said represented about 55 percent of Ghana’s population.
He added that the government was ensuring that funds were released rapidly to pay claims, disclosing that his outfit currently disbursed an average of GHs 200 million to over 4000 health facilities across the country every 30 days.
He further said that in February this year, there was an upward adjustment in the tariff covering medicines and services being paid to facilities under the scheme.
Dr. Okoe Boye indicated that over 95 percent of diseases were covered by the NHIS, including out-patient and in-patient procedures, as well as surgeries and caesarean sections.
He encouraged the public to download the ‘MyNHIS’ app to register or to call *929* for renewal to enable them to enjoy all the benefits that the scheme provides.
Professor Gladys Amponsah, the Board Chair of IMaH, said a lot of deliberations and considerations went into the decision to offer care under NHIS, adding that it
was their hope that their status would be moved from primary to secondary in the shortest possible time.
She called for more collaboration among the two institutions, stating that they needed all the feedback on the best practices in documentation.
In a welcome address, Dr. Akwesi Afriyie Achampong, the Chief Executive Officer of IMaH, said providing NHIS services to the public was a great achievement for the hospital, as it was their aim to provide international health standards to all irrespective of their financial background.
Dr. Alexander Yaw Adusei, the Director of Port for Keta Port Development, representing the Director General of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), said IMaH was established by the Port Authority as part of its corporate social responsibility.
He said it was their hope not only to provide quality health care for GPHA staff but also to the public while also looking forward to contributing meaningfully to medical tourism in Ghana.
GNA