Transform NHIF into National Health Fund - Group

A group of civil society organisations in health has called on government to transform the National Health Insurance Fund into a National Health Fund to bring fragmented budgets and funding streams to the health sector.

The fund will help remove bureaucracies in the scheme, address issues of fraud and leakages, as well as ensure transparency and accountability in the system.

Mr Leonard Shang-Quartey, Policy Analyst, Integrated Social Development Centre, made this known at a stakeholder’s forum on the review of the National Health Insurance Scheme in Accra.

The forum sought to solicit views from health-focused organisations on the ongoing review of the National Health Insurance Scheme.

There is the need to leverage the Community Based Health Planning and Services to deliver primary healthcare for all and address shortages and inequities in secondary and tertiary facilities.

Mr Shang-Quartey reiterated the need for government to commit to rapidly expanding and monitoring the health system to ensure that all citizens have access to quality health care within 8km of their home.

He noted that a survey conducted in 2011 revealed that coverage of the scheme has been exaggerated and could be as low as 18 percent, adding that even though every Ghanaians paid for the scheme through the Value Added Tax, as many as 82 per cent did not benefit from it.

Mr Shang-Quartey stressed that twice as many rich people are signed unto the scheme as poor people, where 64 per cent of the rich are registered compared with 29 per cent of the poorest.

According to him, the scheme suffered from an inefficient administrative and registration system, cost escalation and high levels of abuse leading to serious issues about its sustainability, hence the need for review.

Mr Archibald Adams, National Campaign Co-ordinator, Universal Access to Healthcare Campaign, NGO, said universal health coverage ensured that all people obtain the health services they need without suffering financial hardship.

Mr Adams said the World Health Report in 2010 focus on universal health coverage (UHC) for the next 15 years to be transformative for both rich and poor countries.

He said the civil society health manifesto for 2016 is calling for an inclusive and open process to promote universal health coverage, monitoring of quality health care, monitoring the uptake of citizens unto the scheme, advocating timely release of funds for the scheme and ensure practical and innovative steps to ensure that UHC becomes reality.