Efficient and effective health delivery in the Brong Ahafo region is greatly being affected as most of the operational offices of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the region are not offering full services.
They currently serve only administrative purposes and are unable to issue and print NHIS cards for clients.
[contextly_sidebar id=”voSEIVIwx6udRsW0iRXLr3XshAFIUgpu”]Of the 21 operational districts of the scheme in the region, twelve are currently unable to print and renew cards for clients.
The remaining 9 that are operating have limited their services to the printing of cards as a result of logistical constraints.
This situation has put considerable pressure on the nine offices as clients across the region troop to these centres either to register, renew or replace lost cards.
The Regional Head of Management Information System (MIS) of the scheme, Chris Mac-Quansah who revealed the dire situation to Citi News in an interview also lamented that about six district offices in the region have their vehicles broken down, making it difficult to visit communities in their jurisdictions for activities of the Scheme.
He feared that if nothing was done about the situation, residents and clients of the NHIS will suffer the challenge of bearing the full cost of their medical expenses.
He said some may die from preventable diseases which may increase with the onset of the raining season.
He mentioned Tano South, Techiman, Sunyani West, Asutifi South, Berekum, Dormaa, Jaman North, Nkoranza Municipal and Kintampo Municipal as offices that are currently operational and do more of renewals rather than printing and issuance of cards.
On what has been done to address the situation, Mr. Mac-Quansah said a report has been made to the national headquarters of NHIS.
Citi News checks in some of the offices revealed staff report to work for administrative purposes only as the usual long queues associated with the operations of the NHIS are absent.
In the case of the Asutifi North District office, both staff and clients had abandoned the office and moved to the Asutifi South District office to work and register their clients.
–
By: Mashoud Kombat/citifmonline.com/Ghana