By Edzorna Francis Mensah
Members of the National Democratic Congress on the Health Committee in Parliament have taken issue with government concerning the release of monies to the National Health Insurance Fund for the smooth running of the scheme.
The Minority, led by MP for Joboaso and the Minority Spokesperson on Health, has taken the central government and the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori Atta, to task for not releasing the funds due to the scheme on time.
Addressing the media in Parliament on March 31, 2023, following the approval of the 2023 formula for an allocation to the fund, Mr. Kwabena Mintah Akando again questioned the government for capping the fund for unknown purposes.
He called on the government to “decapping NHI-F and leave the money intact as previous regimes have done—President Kufour, President Mills, and President Mahama never capped; why President Nana Addo cap NHI Fund? So with the greatest respect, we are calling on the President to do the needful”.
The MP submitted that that money serves as a Special Purpose Vehicle for the scheme and “government has no business siphoning the money to Jubilee House to rent private Jet”.
But in a sharp rebuttal, the Majority Chief Whip and MP for Nsawan/Adoagri, Frank Anmoh Dompreh, rubbished the minority’s claims, saying “our colleagues should also be fair to the government regardless of difficulties, some positive news has been recorded”.
The MP who moved the motion for the adoption of the Committee of the Whole for the proposed formula for the NHIS added that, for the first time in history, childhood cancer, sickle cells, and breast cancer are now free under the Scheme.
On the issue of delay in payment, Mr. Dompreh said, the current government has reduced the period from over a year to five months, but he was quick to add that, as a house, there is a need to reduce the powers given to the Finance Minister to promote the on-time release of the fund moving forward.
