The withdrawal of services by the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) is having a negative impact on most patients on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) across the country.
The Mission hospitals on Tuesday began turning away the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) subscribers.
The decision is as a result of the inability of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to pay CHAG health facilities’ outstanding bills for services rendered .
Reporting from the Seventh Day Adventist Hospital at Kwadaso in the Ashanti region, Citi FM’s Hawa Iddrisu reported that a 57 year old patient who visited the hospital was asked to go home since she could not afford her hospital bills.
Another lady stated that “I came here with my Health Insurance card but they are asking me to pay 30 cedis for just Malaria treatment because they are not accepting the NHIS cards again”
Hawa Iddrisu said the Hospital was virtually empty with just a handful of people around since the directive was given
Citi FMs Eastern regional correspondent, Kwame Appiah Kubi reports that pressure is mounting on government hospitals a day after mission hospitals decided to turn NHIS subscribers away.
According to him most patients are now turning to the few government hospitals within the region.
“The situation is creating congestion at the hospital’s Out Patient Department (OPD),” Appiah Kubi observed.
He reported that “a visit to the Koforidua Central and the Oda government hospital among others leaves no doubt that enormous pressure will be exerted on the hospital’s limited staff and resources during this period.”
He stated that residents are therefore calling on the NHIA to immediately engage in a dialogue with the service providers to address the problem.
By: Marian Efe Ansah/citifmonline.com/Ghana