Minority berates goofing Health Minister over NHIS

Joseph Yieleh Chireh

The Minority in Parliament on Thursday reduced Health Minister Joseph Yieleh Chireh to a laughing stock, questioning his competence and knowledge of the sector over which he presides.

The Minister in his attempt to justify delays in the implementation of the one-time premium policy for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), questioned the right of the New Patriotic Party to demand the immediate implementation of the one-time premium policy.

According to him, the NPP implemented the NHIS in 2004, several years after assuming power and therefore had no moral justification to scold the ruling government.

“When the NPP promised to introduce the Health Insurance it was 2004 that they introduced the bill here. How many years was it after taking power? You don't implement manifesto pledges as policy. No. There is a vast difference between policy and intentions,” he stated.

His statement was met with animated reactions from the Minority side, with some questioning the intelligence and competence of the Minister.

Minority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu initiated the 'assault' saying, “Madam Speaker that is a factual inexactitude and as a Minister responsible for Health (he) should know this. Madam Speaker, that bill was introduced into this House in 2002 and we passed the bill, it was accented to by the President and it is referred to as the National Health Insurance Act 2003 (650). You are the Minister of Health and these rudimentary facts you don't know. What have you done with the one-time premium before the expiry of your term?” he demanded.

The minister in a reaction said the NDC in a similar fashion had laid a bill in 2010 to re-enact the law. “Apart from that, look, when you passed the law you did nothing for a whole year when it was getting to election time you started appointing people. When did it take effect? So whatever you think, that is also factually 'inexactutuu' or what…,' the minister said, laughing.

The Minister was also accused of submitting a table, instead of a written statement as an answer to a question, a table MP for Sekondi, Papa Owusu Ankomah described as neither “intelligible nor understandable”.

He demanded the Minister ought to apologise to the house.

Hackman Owusu Agyemang, MP for New Juabeng in a sarcastic fashion said: Madam Speaker I was wondering whether the man is still on vacation so he is sleeping because everything is on vacation.

The Minister applied for a ten-day sick leave at a time Ghanaian doctors were on a nationwide strike in October, leading to wild speculations he was on his way out. He has since returned to post.

Play the attached audio for excerpts of the banter in Parliament

Story by Ghana/Nathan Gadugah/Myjoyonline.com