Health Ministry Clarifies Minister’s NHIS Efficacy Comment
The Ministry for Health has denied reports citing the Minister, Hon Kwaku Agyemang-Manu as saying the National Health Insurance is not efficient as it has to be.
According to the Ministry, the reports by a section of the media are “misleading” and “misrepresentation” of what he said.
In a statement dated April 20, the Ministry clarified by quoting him to have said: ‘From the end users point of view, it looks like the health insurance is not working as a result of the extortion’.”
It explained, “This statement is not meant to insinuate that the health insurance is not working but it’s an admonition to the managers of Ghana Health Service through its providers to end this criminality by every means possible.
“Hon Agyemang-Manu said even though he is a member of the NHIS, he has made the decision to pay for medical services whenever he visits the hospital because he can afford it just to lessen the claim burden on the NHIA.”
Background
The Minister made the statement on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, during the Ghana Health Service Senior Managers Meeting 2023 in the Ashanti region.
Following the meeting some media outlets reported with the headline: “It seems the NHIS is not working” and attributed it to the Minister.
Others cited him as saying he pays for medical services because of extortion.
