Mahama's free primary health care policy will hurt NHIS

Pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) think-tank, the Danquah Institute, has warned that the pledge by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to roll out a policy of free primary health care will only block financial access to quality healthcare in the country.

The group says, the promise made by the opposition leader, John Dramani Mahama is an avenue to collapse the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) that has been revived by the NPP.

At a news conference on Wednesday, the Executive Director of the Danquah Institute, Richard Ahiagbah said the grounds on which the NDC intends to introduce the initiative makes it impossible to be achieved.

“It is worth noting that the Free Primary Health Care Policy is premised on the non-payment of premiums. Intuitively, the 75% of Ghanaians whose point of call for healthcare delivery are district hospitals, CHPS compound or polyclinic would cease paying premiums. Barring the mitigating measures, this would lead to a collapse of the NHIS and would likely set the country back in the progress made thus far.”

The NDC has said the promise for free primary healthcare is to cover persons who seek healthcare services at the district level and lower.

The party described this plan which is anticipated to cost $18 million to implement as the fulcrum around which its Health Policy will revolve should it win power in the 2020 elections.

But, Mr. Ahiagbah said, the debts accrued by erstwhile NDC government in the health sector is enough proof the party does not have what it takes to fulfill the promise it is campaigning with.

“It would be recalled that in 2016, despite the premium payments by beneficiaries, the NHIS was at the brink of collapse with a debt of GHS 1.2 billion accrued between 2013 and 2016. The Free Primary Healthcare Policy appears mere campaign rhetoric by the NDC as it raises concerns about first, the commitment and capacity of the NDC to promote accessible healthcare and the feasibility”, he intimated.