Health Minister should resign over collapse of NHIS - Mahama

He said the Minister has supervised the apparent collapse of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) hence the need to resign.

According to the former President, the Minister cannot be at post while admitting that the scheme is failing.

Speaking to NDC party executives and delegates at the Western North region as part of his campaign tour to be re-elected as the party’s flagbearer ahead of the 2024 elections, Mr Mahama noted that “it is unacceptable for a Minister to act as a passive observer on the side line.”

He said the collapse of the NHIS occurred during his tenure (Kweku Agyemang-Manu) and under his leadership, and therefore, “accepting that the system is not working should be accompanied by a resignation.”

Mr Agyemang-Manu, recently complained about the return of the 'Cash and Carry' system in most health facilities across the country despite the existence of the NHIS.

Kwaku Agyeman-Manu, Health Minister-designate Pulse Ghana

He noted that almost all health facilities are not accepting health insurance cards, adding that he has received numerous complaints from the subscribers concerning the treatment they go through at some of these facilities.

Mr Manu noted that even though the scheme covers Cesarean Section (CS), some of the subscribers pay more than GH¢1,000 to be operated on at some facilities.

He described it as "sad" because the scheme was not introduced because of the middle class but the poor people in society.

The Minister made these observations at the maiden Senior Managers of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) meeting in Kumasi, the Ashanti Regional capital, on Tuesday, 18 April 2023.