Give us true state of healthcare in Ghana - Edward Mahama to Akufo-Addo

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo should use his State of the Nation Address to state clearly, the true state of healthcare delivery, especially the National Health Insurance Scheme, in the country, Dr Edward Nasigri Mahama has urged.

Nonpayment of claims to service providers of the National Health Insurance Scheme has forced some health facilities to withdraw their services.

In an interview with Onua FM, Dr Mahama, also a medical doctor, said he has high expectations on the president to improve on healthcare delivery and resolve the challenges facing the NHIS.

“My Clinic Superior declined taking National Health Cards since March 2015 due to the large amount of undisclosed debt NHIS owed to the facility,” he continued.

However, he said, due to the renewed trust Ghanaians have given the Akufo-Addo led government to fix the NHIS, “my hospital last Friday voted to provide services to NHIS subscribers.’’

“President Akufo-Addo’s campaign highlighted the problems of healthcare delivery in the country and the NHIS became a topical issue, it’s now time to do what he promised,” he added.

He said the health status of citizens underlines the true state of the country, adding that “nothing can be achieved economically or through education if we don’t have good healthcare system.”

Some administrators of other key health facilities in Accra, who spoke to Onua FM expressed optimism in the new government to address the inability of the NHIS to pay claims on time.

A surgical patient and an NHIS subscriber at the Achimota Hospital told Onua FM that he has been billed to purchase NHIS covered items such as bandage, sterile dressing gauze, pethidine, infusion among others before he undergoes surgery.