The Chief of Staff, Akosua Frema Osei-Opare, yesterday handed over 44 brand new pick-up vehicles to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to enhance its operations nationwide.
Expected to improve monitoring, service delivery, and operational efficiency across all NHIA offices in the country, the fleet are to also accelerate frontline staff movement to hard-to-reach communities, facilitating access to healthcare.
Making the presentation at a brief ceremony, Mrs Osei-Opare indicated that the donation formed part of the government vision to achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and ensure that no one was left behind in accessing healthcare.
She said initiatives and interventions rolled out by the NHIA in recent times was a demonstration of the government commitment to transforming the health delivery system.
“The NHIS has expanded its benefit package, improving financial management, technological advancement and targeted health care initiatives which have brought the inclusion of treatment for four childhood cancers, addition of family planning services, inclusion of a life-saving medication for breast cancer and included in the NHIS medicines coverage for four mental health disorders, demonstrating our commitment to addressing mental health issues”, she explained.
The Chief of Staff further mentioned initiatives, including the “annual health checkup” to promote preventive healthcare, the introduction of free dialysis treatment and the clearing of debts amounting to GH¢1.2 billion on the scheme in order to enhance delivery of its mandate.
“These are a testament to government’s unwavering focus on delivering health quality and delivering quality and accessible health care to every Ghanaian no matter their location or financial status,” she stated.
Moreover, the Chief of Staff implored management to ensure the maintenance of the vehicles and ensure they were used for the intended purposes.
“These vehicles will enhance your monitoring activities. It will also enhance your engagement with the relevant stakeholders. You will definitely improve the services that you deliver to the citizenry and together help build a healthier, stronger Ghana,” she stated.
The Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, Dr Dacosta Aboagye, said current transformation happening at the NHIA indicated that the institution was “back on its feet.”
“The NHIS is back and as we speak today, the scheme is actually begging facilities to submit claims to be paid. We have paid more bills than ever before, to the extent that in our 20-year history, it has never happened.
Today, we have added more complex diseases on the NHIS benefit package than any other government in the fourth Republic, and these vehicles will add to our efficiency in our operations,” he indicated.
BY ABIGAIL ANNOH
