Health Minister Dr Sipa Yankey has directed a forensic audit into the operations of district Health Insurance Schemes. This is to enable government determine the extent of corruption in the scheme some of whose management have been accused of embezzlement. Some of the grievous allegations have resulted in the suspension of two private health facilities in the Ashanti Region. The County and Atasomanso hospitals in Kumasi are being investigated for over-billing and collecting unsupported claims from the Health Insurance Schemes. Dr Yankey, who was speaking at a press conference in Accra, told newsmen the audit is even more necessary to ensure the scheme benefits Ghanaians to the letter. Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority, Sylvester Mensah, said corrupt practices in the administration of the scheme constitute a serious financial leakage which must be plugged. He said in the case of the two suspended hospitals, a health audit team which was dispatched on March 21, 2009 discovered authorities had failed to adhere to the NHIS approved list of medicine. “These two hospitals have been suspended, their certification withdrawn and they are no longer to provide National Health Insurance subscribers with health care." Commenting on the recent allegations of party supporters invading some NHIS offices across the country, Mr Mensah called on the police to arrest and prosecute those who take the law into their own hands. Source: Myjoyonline.com/Ghana