Invest more into NHIS

–Pharmaceutical Society urges
STORY: FROM JAMES APPIAKROANG JR., KUMASI, A/R
Vice-President of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana, Francis Mainoo Sarpong, has implored government to invest more into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for effective health delivery in the country.
He said the Council believes that the people of Ghana are not getting the necessary benefits from NHIS as monies which could have been used in financing the scheme are not enough.
Mr. Mainoo Sarpong made this known when speaking to Today after a research sensitization forum by the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana in Kumasi.
He also called on stakeholders in the health sector to come up with new ideas to make the NHIS more effective.
The forum was aimed at mainstreaming the pharmaceutical practice for a comprehensive healthcare delivery and to positively influence policy makers on how to improve healthcare delivery.
The vice president revealed that the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana in conjunction with the BUSAC Advocacy Fund has conducted a comprehensive research into the challenges facing community pharmacy practice in Ghana under the NHIS.
He added that they have examined the role of the stakeholders on how best to improve health care delivery in Ghana.
The society, according to Mr. Mainoo Sarpong, has thus proposed that patients or health seekers should be allowed to choose pharmacies and health centers under the NHIS scheme where they would like to access medical care or prescriptions.
“We are of the view that instead of patients spending several hours in long queues to buy medicines from a particular pharmacy, the scheme should make it possible for patients to choose where best and how quick they can be served at a particular place,” the vice president noted.
He therefore proposed the separation of professional health services where Medical practitioners would conduct checks on patients and advice on the medication to be given.
He remarked that pharmacists should however be allowed to solely dispense drugs and medicines to patients with them choosing where they would like to access care.
In light of this, the vice president said the Pharmaceutical society feels pharmacies should be allowed to manage their outfits with reimbursement from government rather than government funding the dispensing of medicines at its affiliated health centers and pharmacy shops.
He stressed that even though it is necessary to cut cost, in reality human life is more precious and the country must be prepared to fund the total health care of its citizens, adding “after all health is wealth.”