How Health Insurance Began In The Country

I compiled this information between
2000 and 2003. I did not publish it because it was for my own edification
however I have been compelled to do so due to claim by both NDC and NPP they
piloted it and introduce it in the country respectively.I was hitch-hiking from
Accra to Akosombo in June 2000. When we got to Dodowa, the driver passed by at
the PPAG office to greet a friend.At the office I overheard two people
discussing a health insurance scheme at Dodowa and this arrested my attention.
This is because I had just returned from


Brussels on AIESEC internship programme at a health insurance office where I
first learnt about health insurance and how it operates. An expert from the
organization told me that health insurance scheme is difficult to operate and
doubted if such scheme can be implemented properly in a third world country. He
added that even America is finding it difficult to institute a federal health
insurance scheme. So after my trip, I went to Dodowa to learn more about this
health insurance scheme that looks incongruous in a community where income
levels are low.
When I went there, I saw the affable Medical officer who was evidently busy so I


was asked to go and talk to an officer who was attached to the scheme. He told
me that the scheme is an initiative of the District Health Management Team
through the instrumentality of Dr. (Mrs) Irene Agyapong. He added that many
officials from M.O.H in Accra and other International Agencies have been there
to commend them. He continued that the MP and the Minister of Health too have
paid them a visit variously and the latter promised to support the scheme and
recommend to the cabinet for consideration for the establishment of National
Health Insurance based on the success story of that scheme.
Eventually the officer advised me to visit the St. Theresa Hospital Health
Insurance Scheme at Nkoranza because it is the pioneer Health Insurance Scheme
and that they draw experience from the staff there.

In December 2004, I went to Nkoranza Catholic Hospital to be enlightened on the
health insurance scheme for my own edification. I meet the expatriate doctor by
the name Dr. Bossman who was a woman of passion and compassion. She admitted
that she pioneered the health insurance scheme in Ghana in 1991. She intimated
to me that her decision to institute the scheme at the hospital was occasioned
by the inability of most of the clients of the hospital mostly farmers to pay
the hospital charges.
She continued that she got the seed money for the scheme from an NGO in her home


country Netherlands for one year. The first premium was ¢4,200.00 flat and it
was increased to ¢5,500.00 in 1992. She explained to me that the scheme did not
cover the dependents of the beneficiaries and it was also limited to only
in-patients

and outpatients who are detained within 24 hours because of snake bite.

I was later introduced to an officer who had worked at the scheme office since
its inception. When I told him that I had been to the Dangwe west health
insurance office,he conceded that the proximity of Dodowa to Accra has
accentuated the Dangwe west insurance scheme`s popularity. He told me that the
last premium before the government established the National Health Insurance was


¢30,000.00.
He went on to say that, the scheme was replicated at Drobo Catholic Hospital
when the then hospital administrator was transferred to that hospital.
Unfortunately the man was transferred to Berekum so that the nascent scheme
became ineffective. At Berekum Catholic Hospital, the administrator replicated
the scheme there. The Catholic Hospital at Duayaw Nkwanta too became the last
place where the scheme was replicated.

The officer continued that the Nkoranza scheme became resource centre for the
other schemes in the country. He explained that DANIDA and GTZ came to their aid


by offering them together with the Dangwe west scheme technical and logistics
support. The scheme officials were occasionally trained by DANIDA and they in
turn were asked to send reports to them. DANIDA too funded the meetings among
the scheme officials, the officer added.
According to the officer as at 2000, five health insurance schemes were in
operation in the country (Nkoranza, Drobo, Berekum, Duayaw Nkwanta and
Dodowa-Dangme West). He concluded that in 2003, Okwahuman Mutual Health
Insurance Scheme under the aegis of Kwahu Traditional Council, underpinning by
the paramount chief came on board.
Similar one too was established in Koforidua by a local church. This brought the


number of insurance schemes before the National Health Insurance was established


in Ghana to seven.
He concluded that when NPP came to power, top officials from M.O.H and castle
paid them a visit to study the operation of the scheme culminating in bestowing
the order of Volta award on Dr. Bossman by President Kuffour for her pioneering
role.
With this information, it irks me anytime I hear NDC claim that they introduced
health insurance scheme in the country and cite Nkoranza and Dangme-West schemes


as pilot projects.
Oblivious of the fact the Nkoranza scheme was established before the formation
of NDC.

Equally disgusting is when I hear some NPP bigwigs creating the impression that
there was no health insurance scheme before they came into power.

Mike Owusu Gyimah
Light for Children, Kumasi