The Chief of Staff and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, says that the challenges that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is facing are not failures but simple problems that would need a little time to solve.

However, he said the scheme had recorded significant successes within the short period of its implementation.

In an address read on his behalf by the Central Regional Minister, Nana Ato Arthur, at a three-day workshop to swear in newly appointed council members of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at Mankesim on Monday, he noted that since 47% of the country's population had registered with the scheme within a short period of five years, it was not surprising for the scheme to be faced with such challenges due to the work load.

He said it took some developing countries many years to attain the level of success Ghana had reached with the scheme.

He mentioned delays in reimbursements as the major challenge facing the scheme and assured members of government's commitment to remove all barriers to facilitate quality healthcare in the country.

According to him, President John Agyekum Kufuor had directed the NHIS Council to pay all outstanding bills as at June this year.

He urged the council members to ensure that government's commitment to improving quality healthcare delivery in the country was made successful.

The Deputy Minister of Health, Abraham Dwuma Odoom, hinted that the Ministry of Health had established a new health paradigm being implemented through the regenerative health and nutrition programme to place more emphasis on the prevention of diseases and the promotion of health for the financial sustainability of the NHIS.

He expressed the hope that the Ministry of Health would organise a tour for members to Dimona, Israel, where healthcare had been improved through the adoption of healthy lifestyles by the people to serve as practical evidence of what the ministry was preaching with regard to creating wealth through health.

Source: The Chronicle