The health of patients under the National Health Insurance Scheme across the country may worsen if the Ghana Chamber of Pharmacy  should carry out its intended plan to suspend supplies of medicines to hospitals under the scheme.

The chamber says, effective February 10, 2014, there shall no longer be the supplies of medicines to these hospitals  and service providers because of the strangling arrears owed them.

According to a statement signed by the Head , Research & Advocacy, Stanley Adjei  "whereas some of the hospitalS are in arrears since July 2013, most of the hospitals are in arrears since May 2013."

"The inordinate delay in the reimbursement by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is impacting negatively on the financial strength as well as the survival of the distributors. Our members have resorted to borrowing from the banks at 30 per cent interest rates and sometimes from microfinance institutions at interest rate of 5 per cent per month in order to bridge the funding gap and sustain supplies to the hospitalS," the statement said.

The Chamber said they are funding the health insurance scheme at great cost to them, adding the situation is hurting the otherwise healthy business relationship with their suppliers, bankers and other partners.

The Chamber insists, "on account of the this difficulty, we are suspending further drug supplies to health service providers under the NHIS effective 10 February, 2014".