NHIS should cover foreign nationals visiting Ghana – NHIA boss

Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Da-Costa Aboagye, has called for the incorporation of foreign nationals visiting Ghana into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

During an interview on Face to Face on Citi TV, Dr Aboagye expressed his belief that Ghana stands to gain from the enrollment of foreign nationals in the Scheme.

“I think that in our Act, we have to cover non-Ghanaians, and as part of the universal health coverage. I think it’s important that non-Ghanaians or visitors visiting Ghana should also be insured and have national insurance. And this time round it should be mandatory health insurance for visitors.

“It’s good for them and us, when you are visiting, regardless of the time, you protect the citizens, and the citizens protect you as well, which is covered in the Public Health Act.

“I realised something during COVID-19, people coming to Ghana had no insurance. If they had insurance, the government wouldn’t have paid their medical bills initially for such people.

“I want to make sure that the NHIA takes it up and ensure that people visiting Ghana should have mandatory health insurance and we designate a facility to take care of them, it’s good for the country.”

—citinewsroom