The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is positioned to help fight the Coronavirus (COVID-19) through its Contingency Fund when the need arises.
This was contained in a report submitted by Committee of the Whole of Parliament on the proposed formula for the disbursement of the National Health Insurance Fund for 2020 to be approved by Parliament.
The Motion which was moved by Joseph Osei-Owusu, Member of Parliament for Bekwai and the First Deputy Speaker on behalf of the Minister of Finance and was seconded by the Minority Leader was given approval for NHIA to disburse a total amount of GH¢2.3 billion from the National Health Insurance Levy, Social Security and National Insurance Trust contribution and other sources to enable it to execute its mandate during the period.
The Chairman of the Committee, Mr Osei-Owusu said the object of the Fund was to pay for the healthcare services of members of the National Health Insurance Scheme, pay for approved administrative expenses in relation to running of the NHIS and to facilitate the provision of access to healthcare services among others.
He said the committee observed that just as in 2018 and 2019, no funding gap had been recorded at the time of deliberations on issues in relation to the late release of funds by the Ministry for Finance to NHIA and commended the Authority for the effort in eliminating the funding gap.
Mr Osei-Owusu said the committee also observed that the Minister of Finance in pursuance to Section 52 of the National Health Insurance Act, 2012(Act852) had not been reporting to Parliament on fund released to the NHIA in respect of levies every six months and gave the assurance that Parliament would ensure that the law was complied with.
Mr Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, Member of Parliament for Juaboso and also a Ranking Member of the Health Committee asked for more Personal Protective Equipment (PPE’s) to be procured for frontline medical personnel as a matter of priority, however, his emphasis on only the PPEs as the logistics to be procured did not go down well with, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Manhyia South who felt all logistics were needed to fight the COVID-19 and not particularly singling out any as a priority.
BY LAWRENCE MARKWEI
