Bole NHIS increases membership

The office of the National Health Insurance Scheme in the Bole District in the Northern Region increased registration of membership under the scheme from 38,137 in 2012 to 46,319 by the end of 2013.

The increase represents 71 per cent coverage of the population in the district, and the scheme has projected that it will reach at least 73 per cent coverage by the end of 2014.

Out of the figure, 4,340 people, comprising women, children and the aged, considered vulnerable people were enrolled onto the scheme.

Delayed payment of claims

At a mid-year review of the performance of the scheme in the district, the Management Information System Officer of the Bole District Health Insurance Scheme, Mr Yakubu Hamza, said delayed submission of claims was one of the major challenges that faced the scheme in the district.

He said since payment of claims was dependent on the submission and subsequent vetting of those claims, delayed submission of claims delayed payment as well.

“It takes time to vet claims. Delayed filing of claims will delay the vetting process and ultimately the payment of those claims,” Mr Hamza said.

The review was part of a project funded by STAR-Ghana, a multi-donor funded non-governmental organisation, to improve access to healthcare services within four districts of the Northern Region – Bole, West Gonja, Sawla-Tuna-Kalba and Central Gonja.

The objectives were to increase registration of community members onto the NHIS, increase patronage of the community-based health planning services (CHPS) compounds and district health management team (DHMT) healthcare services, and also improve the capacity of community health committees by supporting community members to access and patronise NHIS and CHPS services.

Codenamed the NORTHCODE-STAR-Ghana Health Project, targeted at 10 communities in each of the four districts, the project was undertaken in partnership with PAPADEV, a local non-governmental organisation concerned with healthcare delivery, and other stakeholders, including the NHIS and the Ghana Health Service.

More CHPS compounds

Mr Eddie Telly, Executive Secretary of PAPADEV, said programmes such as community fora and sensitisation on the need to register onto the NHIS, and re-organisation of community health volunteers to facilitate and assist community members to patronise NHIS and CHPS compound services, were critical in the results achieved so far.

Mr Yakubu Eliasu of the Ghana Health Service said the results had shown a marked improvement in the healthcare situation in the Bole District.