Source: newsthemegh.com
Since the Minister of Health publicly acknowledged that the National Health Insurance System (NHIS) has failed, former president John Dramani Mahama demanded his resignation.
Kwaku Agyemang Manu claims that the Scheme is no longer effective and acknowledges that he no longer utilizes the service in favor of paying for his medical care out of pocket.
He complains bitterly that people who are unable to pay are being denied access to medical services, claiming that treatment provided to NHIS card holders at the various clinics is subpar.
The previous president reacted to the Minister’s admission of failure by stating that Mr. Agyemang Manu needed to step down.
“He has acknowledged his own failure. He claims that the NHIS has failed because he was unable to expand it. He has no business serving as the health minister. He need to quit, he continued.
In Sefwi Adobokrom, in the Bia East Constituency, Mr. Mahama addressed branch and constituency executives of his party, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), to thunderous acclaim.
More specifically, Mr. Mahama stated that people with NHIS cards are being turned away from the majority of medical facilities because the government is not paying their claims.
“Health facilities have not received payment for the services they provided to card holders since last year. He questioned, “How do you expect them to treat them going forward?”
Many people have questioned the Minister’s public complaints rather than holding him accountable for ensuring that the Scheme is operational. The minister “appears to be talking like an outsider who is only watching the situation without any ability to impact change within the system,” a social media critic stated in response to the minister’s statement.
Who should be held accountable if the NHIS is not operating as it formerly did? Mr. Mahama went on to reiterate his belief that Mr. Kwaku Agyeman Manu should step down.
“It is unacceptable for a Minister to take the role of an impartial bystander. Under his direction, the Plan fell apart while he was in charge. Receding from the system should be accompanied by an admission of failure.