The Minority in Parliament has called on the Bawumia-led Economic Management Team to urgently direct the Finance Minister to release and transfer all pending payments to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF).
Kwabena Mintah AkandohThis action is deemed crucial to prevent the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) from being jeopardized due to a severe lack of funds.
The Minority caucus has also emphasized the need for the Finance Minister to fully adhere to the provisions of the National Health Insurance Act (Act 852), highlighting that neglecting these obligations has pushed the NHIS into a critical financial state, endangering its continued operation.
In a statement released on May 24, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Health, stressed the urgency of the situation.
"The Minority calls on the Bawumia-led Economic Management Team to direct the Minister responsible for Finance to release and transfer all outstanding payments to the National Health Insurance Fund by the close of the week to prevent the scheme from being imperiled due to lack of funds," he said.
Akandoh further urged the Finance Minister to comply fully with the National Health Insurance Act (Act 852), noting that non-compliance has clear and serious consequences outlined in the Act.
He revealed that the NHIA is in a state of bankruptcy, having not received any financial releases from the Ministry of Finance this year. Additionally, checks at the Bank of Ghana indicate that the National Health Insurance Fund has less than GHS1.0 million available, highlighting the dire financial straits the fund is in.
Expressing the Minority’s outrage, Akandoh condemned the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led administration's apparent disregard for the NHIS's sustainability, which has led to its current precarious financial position.
"This gross and wanton neglect has driven the National Health Insurance Scheme into a precarious financial state, requiring intensive care services to save it from impending and inevitable collapse," he said.
"In fact, the NHIA is bankrupt because it has not received any releases from the Ministry of Finance this year. Moreover, our checks at the Bank of Ghana show that the National Health Insurance Fund has less than GHS1.0 million. This is a bankrupt fund, to say the least," Akandoh added.
The Minority's urgent plea underscores the critical need for immediate financial intervention to ensure the NHIS can continue to provide essential health services to the Ghanaian population.
