.

Pres Mills calls for consensus to sustain NHIS

Share this post

Accra, Feb. 20, 2012

President John Evans Atta Mills has called for an urgent dialogue and consensus on financing of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to ensure its sustainability.

According to the President, the NHIS continues to grow with utilization rising from about 600,000 in 2005 to over 17.5 million as at December 2011.

President John Evans Atta Mills made these observations last week when he presented the state of the nation address before Parliament. He noted that measures were being implemented for cost containment through improved provider payment systems.

“Meanwhile,” he said, “for better customer orientation the scheme has planned to start a call centre to make it more user-friendly.”

The President further said plans were in place to improve access to quality healthcare.

“Our plan to improve access to quality healthcare is very much on course via a number of on-going projects nationwide.” 

According to President John Evans Atta Mills, a number of new health facilities had been completed within the last three years and would soon be put to use, notable of which was the Winneba Municipal Hospital.

“Significant progress has been made on the Tamale Teaching Hospital rehabilitation project. Government is also strengthening the capacity of existing Regional, District Hospitals, and Polyclinics.”

“Five polyclinics will be completed by the end of June in Wechiau, Babille, Ko, Lambussie and Hain, all in the upper west region,” he noted.

According to President Mills, government’s intervention in the deplorable state of the Korle-bu Teaching hospital has led to the procurement of life support equipment and new oxygen plants, the installation of which will soon commence.

He further noted that, government, under the National Medical Equipment Replacement Project, was providing life support equipment, and medical imaging in selected District Hospitals nationwide as well as re-equipping radiology departments in the teaching and regional hospitals with state of the art Magnetic Resonance Imagers (MRI), and CT scanners.

These centers, according to the President, are also receiving mammography units to make breast cancer screening routine, whilst equipment will be supplied and installed in district hospitals as well as health centers across the country.

President John Evans Atta Mills was of the hope that new MRI machines will be installed at the Volta and Central Regional Hospitals respectively.

“As a matter of fact, state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machines are currently being installed at the Komfo Anokye and Tamale Teaching Hospitals.” 

He stated that basic Obstetric equipment have also been supplied and installed in selected district hospitals and health centers across the country as part of efforts at reducing maternal mortality.

According to the President, the National Ambulance Service will take delivery of 160 ambulances this year to augment the existing fleet.

“Apart from health structures and equipments, we have established new Health Assistant Training Schools, Nurses Training Schools, as well as Midwifery schools in various parts of the country to train more health personnel.”

Touching on training of personnel, the President noted that 250 Ghanaians were to benefit from medical training in Cuba with aid from the Cuban government.

He also noted that government had succeeded in reaching an agreement with the Cuban government to increase the yearly medical personnel quota to Ghana from 200 to 300.

President Mills also referred to the country’s achievement in its efforts to eradicate guinea worm, noting that, “In 2012, we will intensify our disease surveillance to make sure that guinea worm is not re-introduced into Ghana and to also prepare Ghana for certification by the World Health Organization as a country free of guinea worm.”

e.tv Ghana news

Share this post

• < Prev
• Next >