Health service delivery at the Walewale district hospital could soon halt due to the National Health Insurance Authority’s failure to reimburse claims submitted by the hospital’s management.

According to the District Director of the Ghana Health Service, Dr. Abdulai Abukari, the NHIA has since December 2015 failed to reimburse the hospital’s claims.

“From December 2012 up till date all the services that we have been rendering we have just been rendering without claims. So it is a challenge for us because we are unable to buy the needed consumables for service delivery.”

He raised the alarm on the sidelines at the official handing over of a brand new ambulance to the Walewale district hospital. The Member of Parliament for Walewale constituency, Dr. Sagre Bambangi donated the ambulance valued Ghc90, 000.

The donation was in response to a request from the district health directorate for assistance. Dr. Abdulai Abukari commended the Walewale MP for his kind gesture. He re-echoed the need for the NHIA to immediately reimburse the hospital to avoid any possible return to the “Cash and Carry system.”

According to him, the hospital’s suppliers of consumables have withdrawn their services. “These days the suppliers are also aware of the NHIS situation so when you go they say either you bring money and pick it or even if they are to sell something that is to cost like Ghc10.00 they will be pricing around Ghc50.00-Ghc60.00 because you can’t tell them when you are likely to pay.”

Dr. Abdulai Abukari further called for enough logistics to enable management of the Walewale district hospital improve their efficiency. The Walewale MP, Dr. Sagre Bambangi said quality health service delivery remained his topmost priority on his transformational agenda. He promised to address some of the hospital’s myriad challenges. Dr. Bambangi called for peaceful co-existence to move the area forward in the right direction.

citifmonline.com