Ho, June 20, GNA - Mr. Sylvester Mensah, Acting Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) on Friday said health insurance was a very important aspect of investing in the people of the country. He therefore warned staff of the various National Health Insurance Schemes (NHIS) that his administration would not spare anybody who goes contrary to the tenets of the Scheme.

Mr. Mensah who said this in an interaction with the Press in Ho as part of a day's working visit to the region said his administration would inject greater sanity into the operations of the Scheme. He said the NHIA was moving in a new direction, adding that, "the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government will not compromise or negotiate on the one premium payment and the universal scheme it promised the people in its manifesto".

Mr. Mensah said information reaching him about some of the Schemes were disturbing, adding that, the Boards of some of the Schemes were larger than the administrative and operational staff. He said processing claims was one of the key problems facing the Scheme because some service providers were allegedly inflating their claims. Mr. Mensah said efficient and transparent mechanism would be put in place to improve upon claims management and also block leakages. He appealed to the media to expose inappropriate dealings they might come across.

Mr. Mensah asked Mr. Evans-Raybon Anyadi, the Adaklu-Anyigbe District Scheme Manager to step aside and said a three member committee would be formed to investigate his conduct and directed the Regional NHIS Manager to take over from him. Mr. Mensah called on the Volta Regional Minister, Mr. Joseph Amenowode and held a close door meeting with him. He also paid a visit to the Volta Regional Health Directorate where Dr. McDamien Dedzo, the Regional Health Director who told him that between 50 and 65 per cent of people access health care delivery through the NHIS and said as collaborators of the Scheme, the health administration will do everything possible to make it sustainable. At the Ho Municipal NHIS office, Mr. Mensah appealed to them not to connive with service providers to cheat the Scheme.