Government has dismissed claims by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is on the verge of collapse.
According to government, available records suggest the scheme is rather buoyant and back to life following funding and logistical support given to it.
Addressing a news conference in Accra on Tuesday, a Deputy Minister of Information, Pius Enam Hadzide assured the citizenry the scheme was nowhere near what was being proscribed by the NDC.
“It is a statement of fact the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo inherited a GHȻ1.2billion debt from the John Mahama-led administration and had since been settled by the government.
“The NDC in its quest to paint a gloomy picture mischievously confused the funding gap arrears of GHȻ425.7million as at December 2016 with the total claims arrears of GHȻ1.2billion.
“It is important the NDC educates itself in order to come to terms with difference between total liability and funding gap, for education of the NDC, funding gap is difference between total liability and money due the NHIS,” Mr Hadzide noted.
The deputy minister indicated that contrary to opposition’s claim the citizenry was losing confidence in the scheme using membership registration, the 2018 figure of 20.1million far outstripped the 18.6million recorded in 2016.
“Again it is also important to state the scheme registers approximately 75,000 mobile renewals weekly. Furthermore, the number of credential facilities (healthcare providers who have signed contracts to attend to registered members) increased from 4,160 at the end of December 2016 to 4, 520.
“For the records, we wish to announce active membership on the scheme by January 2019 is 10,793,456 higher than the 2016 figure quoted by the NDC,” Mr Hadzide said.
On the issue of increasing expenditure, he explained that the NDC relied on budget estimates to draw conclusion, there was an increasing expenditure on compensation, describing the assertion as misleading and in bad faith.
On the allegation of the NHIA having some investment with, ‘All Time Capital Limited’, Mr Hadzide posited the NDC peddled an obvious untruth since that was an investment undertaken as far back as 2012.
On her part, the acting Chief Executive Officer of the Authority, Dr Baaba Selby, insisted that her outfit had paid all service providers and what they owed was within the legitimate five months.
BY CLIFF EKUFUL
