By Emelia B. Addae
Koforidua, Sept. 09, GNA – The Eastern Regional Office of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is set to intensify monitoring of funds released for the Free Primary Health Care initiative in five pilot districts to ensure proper utilisation and accountability.
Mr Frank Addo, Eastern Regional Director of the NHIA told the Ghana News Agency in Koforidua that, the Authority would closely monitor the use of the funds to ensure that every amount disbursed was properly accounted for and used for its intended purpose.
He said the first tranche of funding had been released to the implementing districts, with the Ghana Health Service (GHS) responsible for implementing the initiative at the various health facilities.
Mr Addo said the Authority will also work closely with the GHS and other stakeholders to ensure that the funds were effectively utilised to achieve the objectives of the programme.
“We are going to intensify our monitoring efforts to make sure that every fund that has been disbursed is properly accounted for,” he said.
He urged the GHS, as the main implementing agency, to “up its game” in ensuring that resources provided under the initiative were used efficiently to deliver quality primary healthcare to beneficiaries.
The five pilot districts in the Eastern Region are Afram Plains North, Afram Plains South, Upper Manya Krobo, Ayensuano and Fanteakwa North.
The Free Primary Health Care initiative enables Ghanaians in the pilot areas to access essential primary healthcare services at Community-based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, health centres and polyclinics without paying at the point of service.
The services include routine screening for hypertension, diabetes and cancer, maternal and child healthcare, immunisation and treatment of common illnesses such as malaria and respiratory infections.
Mr Addo said the initiative was primarily preventive and promotive, requiring health workers to intensify community-level interventions rather than waiting for people to report to health facilities after falling sick.
He therefore called on community health nurses to intensify house-to-house immunisation and education, school health education and community visits to prevent diseases before they occur.
The Regional Director said the initiative was not entirely new, explaining that primary healthcare services had previously been funded through different sources.
He said the major difference under the current arrangement was the establishment of a dedicated source of funding to support the provision of free primary healthcare services.
He said the dedicated funding mechanism would provide an opportunity for greater focus on primary healthcare, adding that proper financial management and accountability would be critical to the success and sustainability of the initiative.
Mr Addo commended the government, Ministry of Health, and the NHIA for launching and ensuring that resources were made available for the smooth take-off and sustainability of the policy.
He appealed to various assembly members and opinion leaders to be actively involved and take ownership of the policy in their various communities in making sure the community health nurses visit their communities and individual households to educate and screen members of the community.
GNA
Editing by D.I. Laary/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Emelia B. Addae
Email: [email protected]