National Health Insurance Authority flouts review
of drug tariffs
Cape Coast, June 24, Ghanadot/GNA
– The acting Central Regional Deputy Director of
Clinical Care, Alhaji Alanga Yamyolia has urged the
National Health Insurance
Authority (NHIA) to urgently review the tariffs on the drugs
list to conform with current
prices on the market.
He said even though the law establishing the NHIA required
quarterly review of tariffs, this
had not being done, leaving the various schemes to pay old
prices for pharmaceutical
products.
Alhaji Alanga made the call at a meeting in Cape Coast to
review the first phase of the
National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and to chart a new
course for the take off of the second phase.
He explained that review of the tariffs does not necessarily
mean automatic increases in prices
since some drugs could be reviewed upwards or downwards
in line with the current prices.
He asked the Authority to adhere to its own laws and ensure
that the proper thing was done to
ensure fairness among the various schemes and service
providers.
Alhaji Alanga enumerated a number of challenges facing the
scheme, such as inadequate
information on the new billing system, lack of training for
staff and collaboration between
trainers and trainees on the Information, Communication
and Technology (ICT) systems of the various schemes.
Mr. Emmanuel Badu, Regional Manager of the NHIA, said the
first phase of
the NHIS dealt mainly with the various schemes and service
providers and that the second
phase would focus on using ICT components to enable all
Ghanaians, irrespective of their location to access
health care.
He said the workshop was therefore intended to enable all
stakeholders to collectively
discuss their individual challenges and together come out
with concrete solutions to improve
upon health care delivery.
Madam Ama Benyiwa-Doe, Regional Minister noted that
government
appreciates the work of the NHIA and expressed optimism that
with consensus building, it could
address challenges facing the scheme.
GNA
