The National Democratic Congress in the Volta region has called on government to release monies owed health facilities in the region that provide NHIS services to be able to equip themselves amidst the coronavirus outbreak.
According to the NDC, a check conducted on major NHIS accredited facilities in the region reveals that government owes the facilities a total of GHC32,919,266.40
In a press statement signed by the party’s Regional communication officer Kafui Agbleze on Tuesday, the party said it believes that the funds, if released, will play a vital role in putting the facilities in a better position to prepare for the deadly virus and the potential fallout.
“We call on government to release funds to all NHIS accredited facilities in the region because they will play vital roles in this hard times of the Covid-19 pandemic as they remain the first point of call for all victims,” the statement said.
The statement also said, “the effort of government must be reflected at all spectrum of the health delivery chain in the fight against the pandemic. Hence government should as a matter of urgency release monies to all facilities they owe in the region dating January 2019”.
Though the Volta region has not recorded any case of the Novel Coronavirus, the NDC says government must be proactive in putting such health facilities in a good position to deal with the pandemic.
However, in an interview with Starr News’ Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu, the regional PRO of the NHIS Mr. Bright Nyatsikor, said the claim by the NDC is politically mischievous and untrue.
He said though some major facilities are owed for an average three to five months, it does not put the hospitals in distress or a position that handicaps them as seen in the past.
“Indeed we are paying our service providers, facilities were paid in the Volta region here just last week and so when we are talking about payments, we are not joking. I am unable to tell you how much we owe the facilities now because even when the facilities submit their claims we have to verify the claims, so I can’t confirm the figures now.
“But as I said earlier, we are owing about 3 to 5 months claims that we are working accidiously to pay and we would pay. It is not true that National Health Insurance Authority is owing any facility in Ghana from January 2019 to January 2020 claims.”
Mr. Nyatsikor added that, claims that might have been submitted for January 2020 by the accredited facilities are not yet matured for payment, since it takes three months for claims to be processed – thus will be mischievous for anyone to claim indebtedness.
“In any case, granted that people have even submitted their January 2020 bills, those bills are not matured for payment for anybody to demand or make an assertion for indebtedness”.
Source: Ghana | Starrfm.com.gh | Faisel Abdul-Iddrisu
