The Integrated Development & Empowerment Centre (IDEC Ghana) has called on patients who report at any health facility that is registered as a service provider under the National Health Insurance Scheme for treatment or for any other service but was turned away to sue for redress.

“We believe that as part of efforts to access their rights to quality health care as guaranteed under the local and international laws and conventions, these individuals have registered and duly paid their premium as prescribed under the National Health Insurance Act 852 of 2012,” Samuel K. Agbotsey, Executive Director of IDEC Ghana said in a statement.

“This is an agreement binding on both parties therefore it is subject to be enforced for compliance in case of default. That is why under the Act, subscribers are refused services when they failed to renew their Health Insurance Cards upon expiration.

“With the above background, we believe that there is no acceptable reason to turn-away a subscriber when he/she showed up at a health facility for treatment without adequate compensation for default.

“We therefore encouraged anyone that is turned away to sue the authorities of the health facility that turned them away, joining them with The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and the Attorney General.

“We plead with lawyers all over the country to make their legal services available to these subscribers free-of-charge especially the elderly, women, pregnant women, nursing mothers, children and people leaving with disability,” the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, the Government has directed the release of GH¢ 180 million for the payment of arrears owed health insurance providers.

The money is expected to clear part of the more than 60 million cedis owed National Health Insurance Scheme service providers across the country.

The NHIS owes service providers arrears covering six to eight months.

A statement signed by the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, said the release forms part of ongoing efforts by government to clear all outstanding arrears owed NHIS service providers.