The Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has assured residents of Navrongo that the government’s newly introduced Free Primary Healthcare policy is not intended to replace the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), but rather to complement it.
The Minister made the clarification during an inspection tour of selected Free Primary Healthcare centres in Navrongo, where he was accompanied by the Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea.
Addressing residents and health workers, Mr Akandoh explained that the two interventions would operate side by side to expand access to essential healthcare services, particularly for people in underserved communities.
According to him, while individuals are required to register and periodically renew their NHIS membership, the Free Primary Healthcare initiative allows any Ghanaian to access essential primary healthcare services at participating facilities without necessarily presenting an NHIS card.
“We urge every Ghanaian to take advantage of these policies,” the Minister said, encouraging residents in Navrongo and surrounding communities to make use of both programmes.
Improved logistics for healthcare delivery
The Minister also disclosed that the Upper East Region would soon receive additional motorbikes and tricycles to improve the mobility of health workers and enhance healthcare delivery between communities and health facilities.
He said the provision of the vehicles formed part of broader efforts to strengthen primary healthcare delivery, particularly in deprived and hard-to-reach communities.
NHIS claims arrears cleared
Touching on concerns surrounding the financial sustainability of the NHIS, Mr Akandoh said government had cleared outstanding claims owed to healthcare service providers, describing the long-standing arrears as a thing of the past.
He said providers were now being paid according to schedule, while tariffs for healthcare services had also been increased by a minimum of 50 percent across the board.
The Minister explained that consultation fees, which previously attracted a government payment of about GH¢50, had now been increased to approximately GH¢75.
He further stated that national NHIS coverage had increased from about 57 percent to approximately 76 percent in less than two years, attributing the growth to improved funding and administration of the scheme.
Free Primary Healthcare to support NHIS
Professor Samuel Kaba Akoriyea, Director-General of the Ghana Health Service, reinforced the Minister’s position, stressing that the Free Primary Healthcare policy was designed as a complementary intervention.
He said the initiative was intended to work alongside the NHIS to ensure that more Ghanaians could access basic healthcare services without financial barriers.
The Navrongo inspection forms part of the Ministry of Health’s ongoing assessment of the first phase of the Free Primary Healthcare rollout, which has prioritised underserved and deprived districts across the country, including several communities in the Upper East Region.
The government says the policy is expected to strengthen primary healthcare delivery and improve access to essential services, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Source: Mybluewavesonline.com| Maurice Duncan | Upper East
