The Minority Caucus in Parliament has debunked allegations that the erstwhile Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government left behind debts under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), insisting that the Akufo-Addo government left a positive balance to sustain the Health Insurance scheme.

Addressing the Press on Tuesday, March 10, the Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Dr Nana Ayew Afriye, stated emphatically that the former administration left GH¢1 billion to service claims owed to healthcare service providers across the country.

According to him, the incumbent management of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) did not inherit any outstanding debt from the previous administration, explaining that debts accumulated between 2021 and 2023 had already been cleared before the change in government.

“The current NHIA executives or management did not inherit any debt from the previous management. As of 2023, there was a debt of GH¢2.4 billion covering 2021, 2022, and 2023. That amount was paid in three tranches of GH¢800 million each by the then Controller and Accountant-General,” he said.

He stressed that the payments were publicly known and not conducted in secret, urging stakeholders to avoid politicising issues related to the national health insurance scheme.

“This is not anything done in secret. For that matter, let us put a stop to the over-politicisation of health insurance issues,” he added.

The Member of Parliament for Effiduase/Asokore, Dr Afriye, further argued that the GH¢1 billion balance contradicts claims that the NHIA was left with debts.

“How would they say there was debt when they were left with a positive balance of GH¢1 billion, which they used to pay claims for November, December, January, and February?” he stated.

He maintained that the previous NPP administration left the NHIA in a financially sound position.

“We have made our communication very simple. We will continue to let Ghanaians know that the previous NPP government left the NHIA with a positive balance. It has not even happened before, and that money was used to pay claims for November, December, January, and February,” he said.