Information available to Citi FM indicates that indigenes of Gushegu who are on the NHIS will from Friday, April 2, be denied access to the scheme. According to sources, the Gushegu Hospital will suspend its service to card bearers. The move by the hospital is due to the fact that the scheme owes the Gushegu hospital some 4billion old Ghana cedis. The scheme manager for the Gushegu NHIS, Jacob Yakubu confirmed the reports to Citi News but said the scheme is still negotiating with officials of the hospital to hold on with the directive. He added that the amount involved is quite huge but he is confident that his outfit will be able to clear the debt in a week’s time. “We owe 4billion old Ghana cedis to Gushegu hospital alone…this amount involves all the health providers that we deal with, Katena, Katani, Naaguli, Yendi hospital and the Baptist Medical center in Naliagu…we are still pleading with them to suspend their action for about a week, by then we hope we would have received the money to clear the debt,” he said. Meanwhile, beneficiaries of the scheme who spoke to Citi News have appealed to authorities to rectify the situation. Zitilm Yamusa a beneficiary of the scheme and an indigene of Gushegu told Citi News they have been informed that if the debt is not cleared their ID cards will be invalid. “We heard that letters have been issued to the various authorities, especially the health insurance office indicating that as from Friday, April 2 if you come with the Health insurance ID card, it will be invalid and this is as a result of the scheme's inability to pay what is due to the hospitals.” He added that “some of us deemed it appropriate to bring it to your notice for the higher authorities to solve the problem because without the health insurance delivery in Gushegu, it will be a serious challenge… but we don’t have any option than to succumb to their demands.” Source: citifmonline.com