Health campaign calls on gov’t to sustain NHIS

The Brong-Ahafo Regional chapter of the Universal Access to Healthcare Campaign has called on the government to identify other sources of funding to sustain the National Health Insurance Scheme.

The Campaign is a network of Local and International Non-Governmental Organisations working to promote access to quality healthcare delivery among Ghanaians.

It stressed the need for the Ministry of Health to immediately release funds to the National Health Insurance Authority to pay outstanding claims to service providers.

A petition signed by Mr Thomas Benarkuu, Brong-Ahafo Regional Coordinator of the campaign and made available to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Sunyani on Friday, entreated the government to upgrade public health facilities, especially, those in deprived communities.

It was issued after the Campaign, in collaboration with MIHOSO International, an NGO, organized a route march for about 70 women made up of queen mothers, assembly members and petty traders in the Sunyani West District at Odumase, the District capital.

Led by Nana Abenaa Boatemaa, President of the National Queen mothers Association, the two-hour walk was aimed at pressing the need for government and other stakeholders to push for the adoption of the Universal Health Coverage in the Ghana’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Nana Boatemaa, who is the queen mother of Odumase Number One, later presented the petition to the Sunyani West District Chief Executive, Mrs Agnes Kusi.

According to the petition the government ought to prioritize Universal Health Coverage to improve accessibility to health by all Ghanaians in every part of the country.

It stressed that sets target for the Millennium Develop0ment Goals (MDGs 4, 5 and 6) could be met if at least every district had a medical doctor.

The petition called on Civil Society Organizations to monitor and hold state institutions accountable for quality healthcare delivery.