GH¢4 billion siphoned from NHIS fund since 2018 – Minority accuses gov’t

The Minority in Parliament has accused the government of siphoning about GH¢4 billion from the National Health Insurance Scheme fund since 2018.

According to the caucus, the government failed to make payment to the fund in the year 2022 despite taking about GH¢1.7 billion from the over GH¢3 billion accrued for the fund.

Speaking to journalists, the Ranking Member on the Health Committee of Parliament, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh said such moves by the government would collapse the Health Insurance Scheme if it persists.

“Last year, we realised that only about 6 percent of the amount collected was paid which was the worse in the history of the NHIS. In 2021, the government collected in excess of GH¢2 billion and paid about GH¢127 million and which constituted about 6 percent, and we raised such concern”.

“As though the issues we raised angered the government, the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government decided not to pay anything in 2022. Not even 1 cedi was paid. In the 2022 formula, it was estimated that the government collected about 3.6 billion cedis and the government took about 1.7 billion cedis.

“This is a dangerous trend and can collapse the NHIS. From the year 2018, the government took 197 million Ghana cedis from NHIS, in 2019 the government took 752 million cedis from the proceeds, in 2020 they took 277 million cedis. In 2021, they took 1.1 billion and in 2022, they took 1.7 billion cedis. So from 2018 till now the government has taken in excess of 4 billion Ghana cedis from NHIS.”

But the Majority Chief Whip, Frank Annoh-Dompreh in a reaction said the inclusion of some critical medical conditions in the scheme is contributing to the delay in the release of the funds to the scheme.

He, however, described several of the claims made by Mr Akandoh as spurious adding that the Majority Caucus will respond at the appropriate time.