The leadership of the National Identification Authority (NIA) has met with the management of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to discuss strategies for enhancing their collaborative initiative to register children aged 6 to 14 on the national identity register and issue them with Ghana Cards.
The initiative aims to ensure that children within this age group have access to the Ghana Card, which is gradually replacing the NHIS card, thereby facilitating their access to healthcare as part of Ghana’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC).
This collaboration between the NHIA and NIA focuses on providing healthcare access and ensuring that every Ghanaian child is properly identified within Ghana’s national system.
Key issues discussed during the meeting included operational challenges in registering children aged 6 to 14, a backlog of 300,000 unprinted registration cards, and outstanding financial challenges.
Both institutions renewed their commitment to expedite the resolution of outstanding challenges and to present a structured implementation plan within the next three to four weeks.
The collaboration is expected to significantly improve healthcare access for children and strengthen the country’s national identity management system.
The Chief Executive of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Yayra Koku, reaffirmed the institution’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the NHIA to address key challenges in the registration of Ghanaian children aged 6 to 14 for the Ghana Card.
The NIA Acting Executive Secretary congratulated the newly appointed NHIA CEO, noting that his leadership and proactive approach would be instrumental in advancing collaborative efforts.
He emphasised the need to resolve two pressing issues: the challenges encountered in the registration process and some financial issues
“We are here on two main issues: first, the challenges faced in registering the target group and printing their cards, and second, the debt owed to the NIA by the NHIA.
“There is an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the registration of Ghanaians aged 6 to 14 years old, which commenced last year but was halted due to several reasons. It is important to reactivate this initiative so that registration can continue”.
Chief Executive of the National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Yayra Koku
He proposed the formation of a subcommittee to address operational bottlenecks and recommend solutions that would enable both organisations to achieve their objectives efficiently.
Additionally, he urged his team to explore the feasibility of deploying more efficient printers from the NIA to clear the backlog of cards to be printed in response to the NHIA’s presentation on the immediate steps taken in recent times to expedite the printing of the backlog of over 300,000 cards as soon as possible.
To move forward, Mr. Koku suggested forming a joint team to develop a clear roadmap for resuming the registration exercise while mitigating the previous challenges.
However, he expressed concerns over the NIA’s budget constraints, noting that funding for the initiative had been significantly reduced.
He urged the NHIA to consider sharing the financial burden to ensure the registration exercise continues without setbacks. “Our technical expertise and equipment are ready, but given the budgetary cuts, we will need financial support to carry out this registration effectively,” he said.
NHIA Response
Dr. Victor Asare Bampoe, CEO of the NHIA, emphasised the urgency of resolving these issues, particularly in light of the President’s free primary healthcare initiative that seeks to enhance healthcare access and quality of service delivery towards UHC.
He emphasized the importance of targeting the age group, as it represents a significant constituency. He described children in this age group as a crucial demographic in achieving UH.
“This is a top priority for us, and we need to take immediate action. We must develop a clear roadmap to resolve these issues,” he said.
Dr Victor Asare Bampoe , CEO of NHIA
Regarding the financial challenges, Dr. Bampoe recommended that both leadership teams consult their respective sector ministers for a resolution.
He said the amount involved was not within the purview of the two CEOs to address independently, a suggestion that was unanimously supported by all present.
Highlight of Operational Challenges
On behalf of the NIA, Alfred Gazari provided a detailed overview of the registration exercise and the difficulties faced. He explained that the collaboration between the NIA and NHIA started on October 4, 2024, with the first phase scheduled to run for five months.
However, unforeseen challenges—including delays in instant card printing and financial constraints affecting payments to contracted personnel—led to the suspension of the exercise by the end of November.
“We encountered major challenges right from the beginning. The plan was to print and issue cards instantly to registered children, but we faced difficulties with the printing process.
“Additionally, by mid-November, payments to engaged personnel became a significant issue. These two factors forced us to notify NHIA and put the registration on hold to reassess our approach”.
Alfred Gazari
He said, despite initial efforts, the printing backlog has yet to be cleared, with approximately 300,000 cards still pending.
Throwing more light on the debt in question, Theresa Eson-Benjamin of the NIA highlighted the longstanding financial obligations of NHIA, tracing back to a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2018.
Under this agreement, the NHIA was to utilise the NIA’s identity verification system and Ghana Card infrastructure to streamline its operations.
Joe Annor-Darkwah presented the NHIA’s plan to resume the printing of the backlogs. He indicated that NHIA had engaged all regional offices and was prepared to proceed with the process, pending technical support from the NIA.
According to him, discussions on the scope of the resumption have been finalized, and operational teams are ready to begin work as soon as possible.
Present at the discussions were senior officials from both organisations, including NHIA’s Deputy Chief Executive, Admin & HR, Mr Raphael Segkpeb; Mr. Francis Oti Frempong, Director, Membership and Regional Operations.
Others include Dr. Gustav Cruickshank, Director, Financial Accounting; Mr. Daniel Blankson, Ag. Director, MIS; Vitus G. Kaleo-Bioh, Dep. Director, MIS and Mr. Oswald Essuah-Mensah, Ag. Director, Corporate Affairs.
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