The Volta Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has ridiculed claims that the National Health Insurance Scheme has collapsed and is unable to meet the claims demands of service providers.

Joseph Homenya said the scheme is in the best of states and continues to function effectively, with the digitisation of its system as the current innovation to enhance services and the addition of medication and treatment for some chronic illnesses to the scheme.

Mr. Homenya was speaking at the 2023 Annual Performance Peer Review in Ho.

“Utilisation records in the period made by members of the scheme in the health facilities for medical care stood at 26, 001,400. So you can see that Utilization is very high.

"People are really patronising NHIS. It is not collapsing, it is growing in strength and strength, so politicians say the truth”, he stressed.

Mr. Homenya said that most service providers in his jurisdiction have been paid claims up to December 2023.

He outlined the launch of the MyNHIS mobile app, digitisation of the claims payment system, and some of the new interventions introduced to improve the services of the scheme.

He also reechoed the addition of medication for breast cancer and treatment of some cancers, dialysis for members with renal conditions unto the scheme.

Mr. Homenya announced that new offices have been established in the North Dayi and Ho West Districts to take services closer to clients.

He added that the year under review saw the construction of a new office complex in four operational districts, furnished with vehicles.

“The Authority is constructing five additional offices at Akatsi, North Tongu, Central Tongu, Ho, and Ketu North Districts”, he added.

Mr Homenya disclosed that active membership of the scheme was 1,167,329 in 2023 in his jurisdiction, which represents 68% of the region’s 2023 projected population.

He said that the Volta Region Secretariat of the NHIA was adjudged the best-performing region in the country in 2023 for achieving its targets among other strides, while Ketu North revived the best-performing District nationwide awards.

Mr. Homenya announced that about 341,016 children between 6 and 14 years would be registered and issued Ghana Cards under the NHIA, National Identification Authority partnership.

The Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Letsa asserted that the NHIS is one of the best social interventions introduced in Ghana.

“It is working, nobody should say that Health Insurance is not working, sometimes I hear things on the radio, ‘Health insurance is not working, even paracetamol they can't give you.’ But when they are sick they go with their cards.

So, the fact is that National Health Insurance is one of the best things that happened to this country, and we thank President Kuffuor for initiating the Health Insurance Scheme”, he said.