GNAT Says No ... Look Elsewehere Not SSNIT Fund

The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has registered its disapproval of the government’s decision to fund the National Health Insurance Scheme with two and a half per cent of workers’ contribution to the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

“GNAT is definitely against any incursions into the SSNIT contributions. Two and a half per cent of about one million contributors can effectively fund the scheme. Other more ingenious alternatives have to be examined’, it said.

In a statement signed by the General Secretary, Mrs Irene Adanusa, GNAT noted that the health of a nation’s citizens, especially working population was of great importance. GNAT is therefore not against the government fulfilling its social obligations towards the citizens “but this should be done in the most efficient manner to yield maximum benefits”.

According to GNAT, the structure and operations of the National Health Scheme need to be re-examined. “We are very apprehensive about the hurry to give birth to another national bureaucracy which will grow to be a ‘monster’ (another SSNIT) for workers, whereby administrative expenditure would override projected benefits”.

GNAT proposed that government should facilitate and reinforce existing health schemes notably work place, community and district level schemes so as to stabilize them. “When this has been achieved, a minimal percentage from their annual proceeds could be behived off as the risk equalization factor to finance schemes for the unemployed, aged and those in very remote or deprived circumstances who have no access to any health facility”, the statement added.

Meanwhile, representatives of labour organizations in the country have also kicked against the poor implementation of the Health Insurance Scheme saying it will lead to dissatisfaction among people and thereby discredit the whole idea of a health insurance system.

TUC Secretary General, Kwasi Adu Amankwah says the country will loose a golden opportunity to create a better and more equitable health care system for the people if things were rushed through.