Propaganda Secretary of the National Democratic Congress Fiifi Kwetey says the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is not free contrary to claims by the NPP government. Fiifi Kwetey alleges that the people of Ghana have been saddled with an astronomical increases in NHIS premiums from an amount of GH¢7.50 to GH¢30.00 “The reality is that Ghanaians are directly financing their health care through the compulsory payments of premiums which has increased astronomically.” The increases he said, have denied destitutes, infants, lactating mothers, pregnant women and the aged the opportunity for a free health care. Speaking at a News Conference, dubbed “The lies of the NPP” Fiifi Kwetey further alleges that the ruling NPP has disingenuously maintained the 2.5% National Health Insurance Levy for the past 5 years when they had originally promised the levy would only be collected for 6 months. These lies Mr. Kwetey claims were intended to deceive the public in order to retain the NPP government in power. The NHIS secretariat has however denied the increases. According Media relations Manager of the NHIS, Akwasi Acquah, the premiums collected have been approved by law and specified how much could be collected. He said the premiums collected ranged between GH¢7.2 to GH¢48 and could therefore not be described as an astronomical increase. Story by Nathan Gadugah