The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has justified its controversial donation to the COVID-19 fund saying the move is a way of demonstrating good corporate citizenship
The GHC250,000 donation to the fund by the NHIA has sparked uproar on social media with Ghanaians questioning the motivation since the scheme is regularly indebted to service providers.
However, in a statement, NHIA said: “The NHIA’s donation of GHC 250,000 to the Covid-19 Relief Fund, though significant, represent less than 5% of the entire Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Budget for 2020. Indeed, it is equivalent to 0.06% of funds paid in claims this year, which amounts to approximately GHC400 Million to healthcare providers as claims reimbursement”.
The statement added: “The ability to control the Covid-19 pandemic within the country would eventually protect the NHIF in terms of reduced claims from service providers. In advanced countries where Universal Health Coverage Is achieved, the equivalent of the National Health Service (NHS) as pertains for the UK or PhilHealth for the Philippines will cover all expenses for Covid-19 related treatments albeit with additional emergency funding from government. Therefore the donation Is the NHIS way of demonstrating good corporate citizenship by supporting government initiatives that will provide health education, prevention and enhancement of health infrastructure to fight this unseen enemy”.
Ghana has so far recorded 1154 Covid-19 cases with 9 deaths and over 100 recoveries.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM
