The Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana (PHFAoG) has singled out the Minister of Health Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu as the problem of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) which has compelled them to take money from their patients despite being on the scheme.

The association says its members were expecting the minister to praise them for surviving to date despite the government’s inability to pay their accrued claims after providing healthcare to the Ghanaian patients.

Hon Kwaku Agyeman-Manu at a stakeholder conference in Kumasi while addressing the Ghana Health Insurance Service Senior Managers and other stakeholders, accused health facilities of extorting money from patients though they are subscribers of the scheme

He revealed that he has also been a victim at the Ridge Hospital and the University of Ghana Medical Centre where he was asked to pay money for receiving medical care.

“From the end-user point of view, it looks like the health insurance is not working. I am a patient and I know what it is,” Mr. Kwaku Agyeman Manu said.

However, responding to Mr. Kwaku Agyeman-Manu on Angel FM in Kumasi the Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana rejected claims by the minister saying he is the cause of the problem and asked the minister to praise them instead.

“The issue is very funny and interesting. He should have rather praised all of us for surviving till this date when people are able to access health care so that we will all come together and think of how we are going to put a stop to the top-ups and other things. Most of the problems come from his side not us. What measure has he as the Health Minister put in place to make sure we stop these activities,” Mr. Samuel Donkor, Vice President of the Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana (PHFAoG) has said.

The association argued that, since the government is not paying them the required services and prices of drugs, they have no option but to charge an extra amount from their patients because they cannot run their facilities at a loss.