NHIA discovers extensive illegal charging of patients in Tamale

A monitoring exercise carried out by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has revealed that some health facilities in the Tamale Metropolis impose illegal charges on patients for services already covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

Mr Abdul-Ganiyu Ahmed, Tamale Metropolitan Manager of NHIA, who announced this, said Seventh Day Adventist Hospital, Tamale Central Hospital, Tamale West Hospital, Kabsad Scientific Hospital, and One Heart Hospital were amongst the major health facilities in the Metropolis, who were illegally charging patients for services that were already covered by NHIS.

He was presenting the findings of the monitoring report at a stakeholders’ engagement organised by the NHIA in Tamale and attended by representatives of some health facilities in the area.

Mr Ahmed cautioned all health facilities engaging in the act in the Metropolis to desist from it as such developments were discouraging the public from enrolling onto the NHIS.

He warned the identified facilities that they would be made to face the laws of the land.

Mr Isaac Akonde, Director in-charge of Claims Processing Centre at NHIA, Tamale Metropolis said an Illegal Co-payment Committee had been set up to enable the NHIA to arrest the situation and help bring finality to the development, which was widespread in the area.

Representatives of various health facilities, who were present, expressed their readiness to address the situation.