SONA 2018: NHIS funding stirs debate between Majority, Minority

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The Minority side of Parliament[/caption] Reactions are sharply divided between the Majority and Minority on the president’s State of the Nation address. Key amongst the issues is operation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). Member of Parliament for Damongo Constituency Adam Mutawakilu said since November last year, the Scheme has been unable to renew the registration of applicants. A former Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester Mensah, claimed the Ministry of Finance was not adequately funding the Scheme. The Minority claims GH¢800 million has been cut from the health budget. But Minister for Health Kwaku Agyemen Manu said the difficulty in renewing registration is temporary and would be solved shortly. He argued that the Authority has had to clear some arrears, since pharmacies and other service providers were threatening to withdraw their services. On the issue of the management of the University of Ghana Medical Center, Mr Agyemang Manu said his ministry is still in talks with the University and a committee’s report will soon be ready. On the fight against illegal small scale mining, Adam Mutawakilu accused the government of not being serious about the menace, claiming government has cut allocation to the Minerals Commission, for example. But Mr Agyemen Manu responded that the additional funds have been allocated specifically to fight illegal small-scale mining. In his address on Thursday, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said the ban on small scale mining cannot be long-term and added that schemes to find sustainable income activities for operators have been set in motion. By Afua Tieku|3news.com|Ghana ]]>