NHIS Blows ¢4bn On Retreat

Sylvester Mensah, NHIA Boss

Management Members of the ailing National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) are said to have blown ¢4billion on a recent retreat at the Elmina Beach Resort in the Central Region when the authority is grappling to pay service providers.

According to DAILY GUIDE's investigations, about 120 management members, a busload of journalists and 20 resource persons left Accra late Sunday, February 3, 2012 for the retreat at the expense of the NHIA.

Checks at the three-star hotel revealed that about $150 was charged per head daily for three to five days including cost of conference hall, snacks and internet services, with $48 being charged for three square meals for the little over 150 participants who were also entitled to travelling allowances, otherwise known as per diem.

The entire retreat, according to sources, cost the NHIA $148,500, an equivalent of GH¢297,000, excluding recurring expenditure and retreat materials, raising questions about the significance of the said event to the improvement of healthcare delivery when the NHIA was crying for cash.

Despite the fact that the money could have been channeled into offsetting debts owed service providers, the authority found it prudent in compromising the health of beneficiaries to luxurious retreats.

According to deep-throat sources, some management members vehemently kicked against the retreat when the issue cropped up, stating it was a rip-off, especially at a time management's monthly report for December 2012 was not completed for perusal and discussion.

But their concerns were ignored by some purported untouchable blocs within the NHIA who were bent on using the event to propel themselves to catch the eye of the president for political appointments, reasons for which a busload of journalists was conveyed to the venue.

DAILY GUIDE has learnt that more health service providers are turning away patients with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) cards because of arrears.

According to managers of some health facilities who spoke exclusively to DAILY GUIDE on grounds of anonymity, the NHIA had severally promised to settle its debts but this had not been successful, bringing a lot of constraints to the services rendered to the public.

It was in the light of this, they noted, that most beneficiaries of the NHIS were being turned away, especially at mission hospitals, as some service providers were no longer willing to allow the NIA to grind their operations to a halt with huge unpaid arrears.

All efforts to speak to Nii Annan Adjetey, Director of Communications of the NHIA, proved futile as he failed to answer his phone calls.

At the time of going to the press, he was yet to respond to a text message sent to his phone.

From Stephen Zoure, Tamale