Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Spokesperson for former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has strongly criticized the ruling National Democratic Congress for what he called their inability to effectively manage the National Health Scheme (NHIS), following recent disruption of the scheme’s digital system.
Mr. Aboagye argued that the NDC has a record of consistently mismanaging the National Health Insurance Scheme whenever they are in power.
He recounted that it was the founding fathers of the NDC, then the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC), that canceled Ghana’s free healthcare for all citizens, which had been in operation for many years.
“Remember, Ghana had free healthcare for all citizens until the P/NDC removed that privilege and introduced cash and carry into our healthcare, which effectively excluded the poor from accessing healthcare. So YES, there was free healthcare in Ghana until the ancestors of this same government removed it.”
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Spokesperson for Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamud Bawumia.
Mr. Aboagye further recounted that after that National Democratic Congress administration led by late former President Rawlings handed over power to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led by former President John Agyekum Kuffour spearheaded reforms to restore free healthcare to all Ghanaians through the establishment of the NHIA and the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), both backed by the National Health Insurance Act 2003 (Act 650).
NDC’s Consistent ‘Failures’
He, however, regretted having to recount that another government under the NDC, which took over power from 2009, brought the NHIS to ruins, arguing that the then government had returned the country to “cash and carry” in their 8th year in office.
“Between 2009 – 2016, when the NDC came to power after the introduction of the NHIS by the NPP Kuffour Government, they collapsed the NHIA, failed to fulfil their One-Time Premium promise, and returned the country to cash and carry by 2016”.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Spokesperson for Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamud Bawumia.
Mr. Aboagye claimed that due to the mismanagement of the NHIA by the NDC government between 2009 and 2016, membership subscription to the NHIS had declined during the period.
He also added that no efforts were made to improve the system to ensure citizens had free access to healthcare. This he argued, left citizens to have to make instant payment before getting access to healthcare.
“Due to the near collapse of the scheme, Membership on the NHIA reduced from 12.5million to 11.03million. About 1.4million Ghanaians left the health insurance scheme.
“Renewal time for the health insurance remained manual and could take a minimum of 3 weeks before a citizen could have their cards renewed. Ghanaians had to pay cash for healthcare should the card expire”.
Dennis Miracles Aboagye, Spokesperson for Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamud Bawumia.
System Breakdown Frustrating Patients
Mr. Aboagye’s narrative follows some reports, which suggest that the NHIS system is facing serious challenges nationwide and on the verge of breakdown.
The reports also state that patients whose hopes were hinged on the National Health Insurance Scheme have been left frustrated and now have to pay instant cash to access healthcare.
The spokesperson for the former Vice President, lamented the experiences of patients with regards to the non-performance of the NHIS being reported in the media.
He described the situation as sudden and worrying but not surprising, as he is of the view that the record of the party in power attest to their incapability, given that almost the same crop of people has returned back to office.
Mr. Aboagye contrasted the recent occurrence with that of the NPP’s efforts between 2017 and 2024, under the leadership of H.E. Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo.
He lauded the NPP’s achievements with the NHIS including, increase in membership subscription, digitalization of renewals which ensured instant renewal of membership, and the inclusion of further illnesses such as kidney disease, childhood cancer (leukemia, Wills tumor), and sickle cell.
He therefore charged the government to salvage the situation by ensuring a functioning NHIS, clearing the arrears of doctors and nurses, ensuring the expansion of the Zipline drone systems and the completion of the Agender 111 hospitals.
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