PNC to review implementation of NHIS – Dr Mahama

Dr Edward Nasigirie Mahama, Proponent of National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), on Thursday said a Peoples National Convention (PNC) Government would review, strengthen and expand the scheme.
He said: “The NHIS is currently being implemented on one leg, hence the teething problems associated with its administration but unfortunately the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has failed to consult the initiators.
“Under a PNC Government in January 2009, the other leg of the scheme known as Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) would be outdoored to give full complement to NHIS,” Dr Mahama stated at the last in a series of an interactive platform dubbed; “An Evening Encounter With Presidential Aspirants.”
It is a live political platform on Ghana Television and other media networks organised by management of Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) in collaboration with the managements of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation and Joy FM.
The platform under the auspices of Ghana Political Parties Programme enables the various presidential aspirants with representation in Parliament to educate the electorate on their visions, plans and how they intend to govern the country, should they be elected as President of Ghana.
Dr Mahama who is also the Flagbearer of PNC, said HMO would focus on strategies to keep Ghanaians healthy so that the NHIS was not over utilized to bankruptcy, saying “If you buy a car insurance you don't leave the maintenance of the car so that you can get an accident and then claim insurance damages.
“Instead you make sure that your breaks, wind shield wiper and other parts are in order to avoid accident. The HMO would incorporate all current public and preventive medicine approaches such as immunizations, maternal and child health into an active health promotion effort.”
He said under the HMO a Medical Intelligence Unit would be established to assess the national health and predict emerging disease patterns, yearly physical examinations for the detection of early silent disease like hypertension, diabetes and cancer.
The unit would also have an epidemiological data collection functions to warn the nation in advance as to the trend of diseases pattern so that preventive steps can be taken ahead of epidemics.
“Health maintenance implies that our pregnant women would be healthy to bring forth healthy babies with reduced neo-natal and infant mortality. Maternal and infant mortality would be tackled by co-ordinating existing programmes and making them more efficient,” the PNC Flag bearer noted.
He said the Ministry of Health would be empowered to perform monitoring and evaluation functions more vigorously, while devolving implementation of programmes to the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies.
Dr Mahama described corruption as a bane to Ghana's development and a PNC Government would fight it from a personal perspective as the President and through the legislative and governance levels.
On the personal level, Dr Mahama said the President who is the number one individual on the land, must be seen to abhor corruption, and that was what his presidency was ready to provide.
He said “the era of do as I say and not as I do would be a thing of the past and that he would provide leadership by example for all to follow”.
Dr Mahama said on the Legislative front, a PNC Government would enforce existing laws and enact more stringent laws to deter people from engaging in corrupt practices.
He said the Attorney General's Office would be separated from the Ministry of Justice to enhance efforts at fighting corruption at the governmental level.
This, Dr Mahama said would enable the impartial Attorney General to prosecute all offences both in the private and public institutions without regard to political affiliations.
Answering questions from the audience, Dr Mahama said he would review the Assets Declaration Regime as a way to fighting corruption, and would personally lead by declaring his assets, something he had done before.
He explained that the problem in Ghana was that assets declared were not made public, insisting, that “The Right To Information Law” when enacted would ensure that citizens could demand for the assets declared by public officers and other government functionaries.
Dr Mahama said: “Ghana has all the laws to run an accountable, corruption free government. The problem is implementation. A PNC Government led by Dr Edward Mahama is ready to implement all the laws for purposes of growth and development.”