Save NHIS from collapsing

THE National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) last week announced that it has sanctioned thirty four (34) individuals and service providers in the Brong Ahafo and Volta regions. The action of NHIA follows an auditing into the scheme in the two regions which revealed financial malfeasance on the part of some scheme managers and accountants.
INDEED it is refreshing that the NHIA is taking such a prudent step to sustain the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). The scheme was one of the social interventions introduced and implemented by the immediate past Kufuor administration.
AND since it replaced the previous Cash and Carry System, the scheme has, no doubt, helped millions of Ghanaians who in the past could not have money to go to the hospitals, anytime they were taken ill. But, unfortunately the NHIS has been beset with many fraudulent deals which are threatening its very survival.
IN FACT, it is because of the benefits of the scheme that the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) during the electioneering period made it clear that it will not phase it out but will improve upon it should Ghanaians give them the mandate to govern this country.
WE want to remind the Mills administration of their promise to improve upon the scheme and ensure that many more Ghanaians benefit from it. It is, however, unfortunate that after one year into the current administration measures have still not been put in place to arrest the massive corruption in the NHIS. Instead, all that we read in newspapers and hear on radio stations is that officials of the scheme are involved in one fraud or the other.
WE must not underestimate the fact that the many underhanded dealings going on in the NHIS across the country cannot collapse the scheme. Ultimately, we should bear in mind that if the scheme dies as a result of the misguided actions of a few individuals many of us who have registered with the scheme will suffer.
THIS explains why TODAY supports the action taken by NHIA to prosecute officers of NHIS who have been caught in corrupt deals. The prosecution of such bad nuts in the NHIS will help deter other officers who have such ill-intentions to collapse the scheme. It is imperative that we all work collaboratively to save the NHIS.
IT is in this respect that we are calling on the government to institute effective measures that will monitor and check the activities of workers of the scheme and service providers. The scheme has come to be embraced by many Ghanaians, and we must therefore not allow it to sink deep into the waters.
TO all intents and purposes, it is imperative that the NDC government steps up its efforts to inject some level of sanity into the NHIS. Moreover it also behooves us all to ensure by contributing our bid to ensuring that the scheme lasts forever. Let us all help save our National Health Insurance Scheme.