NGO petitions Finance Ministry to account for health insurance levy

NHISThe Universal Access to Healthcare Campaign, a network of local and international non-governmental organisation, has called on the Ministry of Finance to account for the National Health Insurance Levy.

It expressed concern about the state of the National Health Insurance Scheme, and advised the government to implement what it described as “progressive and equitable tax reform” to financially sustain the scheme.

It appealed to the government to identify other creative ways of generating funds to support and sustain the NHIS.

The network said this in a petition signed by Mr Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu, National Campaign Coordinator, and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Monday, as the world marks the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) day.

In 2012, the United Nations unanimously endorsed the commemoration of Universal Health Coverage on December 12 each year, urging governments to ensure universal access to health care without financial hardship.

This landmark commitment affirmed the right of every person to have the opportunity for the highest standard of health without financial difficulties.

According to the network, majority of Ghanaians were also interested to know how much was being disbursed annually to the National Health Insurance Authority for the management of the NHIS.

The network is a national campaign driven by the Alliance for Reproductive Health Rights (ARHR), ISODEC, MIHOSO INTERNATIONAL, BANGO, Essential Service Platform, SEND Ghana, and Coalition of NGOs in Health.

It said majority of Ghanaians would be able to access healthcare without necessarily paying at the point of use if the government adequately resourced the NHIA, and ensure equitable distribution of health professionals at public health facilities.

“The government should make available essential life-saving drugs such as antiretroviral treatment drugs to cover the NHIS”, the network said.

It also urged the NHIA to strengthen its monitoring and evaluation systems to flash out service providers charging illegal fees or providing poor healthcare services to beneficiaries.

The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was introduced through an Act of Parliament (Act 650) in 2003, to provide affordable and accessible quality healthcare for Ghanaians.

Prior to the introduction of the NHIS in the country, Ghana was practicing the “Cash and Carry system”, which was a financial barrier in people’s access to basic health care services.

According to the network, the country could achieve UHC if bottlenecks in the NHIS were removed to make healthcare affordable to the citizenry.

“UHC can help reduce maternal mortality ratio and neonatal deaths as well as prevent the needless deaths in our health facilities” it added.

Source: GNA

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