Former Health Minister, Alex Segbefia has chastised the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) for donating GH₵250,000 to the COVID-19 National Trust Fund.
The donation to the Fund has sparked outrage on social media with many taking the view that the sum donated can rather be channelled into improving the financial position of NHIS service providers.
On their part, the service providers say the NHIA’s move is misplaced as it is yet to pay them their claims, some of which have not been paid since February 2019.
The President of the Private Health Facilities Association of Ghana, Samuel Boakye Donkor said the NHIA’s conduct is “bad and painful,” since that money could have been used to pay them.
Speaking on Breakfast Daily on Citi TV, Alex Segbefia, said the decision to donate was a bad one.
“I disagree with that. I know it’s a judgement call. I listened to the gentleman from NHIA and he made it clear that this was funding from a separate source in terms of what they could use the money for. But in terms of judgement call, I think it’s a bad judgement call. If you are in the health sector, already because all the funds should be going to help the health sector and the NHIA is part of the health sector, they do not need to be contributing to this fund. Very importantly, they look at the issues from a nationals perspective,” he remarked.
Nothing wrong with the donation
But the National Health Insurance Authority, in response to these opinions, says there is nothing wrong with its donation to the National COVID-19 Trust Fund.
The Authority said the gesture falls in line with its mandate and forms part of its corporate social responsibility.
Its Manager of Communications and Media Relations, Barimah Sarpong said, “This is not a donation that is going into entertainment or anything that is not worthy. This is a donation toward a worthy cause, fighting an epidemic in Ghana so it is not unwise to take GH₵250,000 from the budgetary allocation of NHIS meant for our corporate social responsibility to help fight COVID-19.”
In a statement to give more explanation on its action, the Authority noted that, “The NHIA’s donation of GH₵250,000 to the COVID-19 Relief Fund, though significant, represents less than 5% of the entire Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Budget for 2020. Indeed, it is equivalent to 0.06% of funds paid in claims this year, which amounts to approximately GHC400 Million to healthcare providers as claims reimbursement.”
COVID-19 Fund
The COVID-19 National Trust Fund which was created to receive public contributions to help improve the lives of the vulnerable who will be worst-hit by the pandemic has in a short while received many donations and contributions from businesses and individuals.
President Akufo-Addo donated his April, May and June salaries as seed capital for the Fund.
Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia continued in the President’s and also donated three months’ salary to the Trust Fund.
All Ministers of State and other top appointees at the presidency voluntarily decided to donate 50 percent of their salary for the next three months to the recently initiated COVID-19 Fund.
Putting words into actions, the Fund distributed toiletries, PPE and other essential medical items to the Ghana Health Service, COVID-19 Care Team and some selected health institutions on Wednesday, April 22.
