At a time when all the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) operators across the country are suffering from severe financial crisis and poor customer services, the new management planted by the Atta Mills led National Democratic Congress Government, has loaded the headquarters of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) with dozens of activists of the NDC, thus heavily bloating the manpower base and payroll of the authority.

Things have gotten so bad, that at a recent meeting the Director of Human Resource and the Director of Administration were charged to find out the financial implications of hiring so many people in a very short time that the administration headed by Mr. Sylvester Mensah has been in charge.

This newspaper has learned that from a staff strength of about 45 at the headquarters, the number has increased to over a hundred in a mere twelve months under Mr. Sylvester Mensah! This newspaper upon hearing the information that the scheme has employed over 100 people since the current administration took over office went to the office of the scheme yesterday to enquire the truth on the issue at hand.

Our reporter spoke to the Director of Administration, Mr. Nathaniel Otoo who admitted that there has been some recruitment since the NDC’s new management took over office from the previous administration.

Mr. Otoo revealed that the Scheme has created a new division; Claims and Clinical Audit, which takes care of all claims and disbursement of funds by the scheme which is in line with the Ghana Diagnostic Related Group’s [GDRG] framework of vetting the payment of claims being made by the scheme.

He also admitted that the ‘complex nature’ of their work has necessitated the intake of more personnel to assist in the delivery of the scheme’s duties. He outlined the seven divisions at the scheme; the Administration/ Legal Division, Operations Division, ICT Division, Research Division, Finance Division, the newly founded Claims and Clinical Audit and the Corporate Affairs Division which has been elevated from the stand-alone department it used to be.

“We now have only one stand-alone department and that is the Internal Audit.” He added.

When asked of the staff strength at the Scheme, Mr. Otoo could not give the actual number of employees at the headquarters at present though he demystified the information we had to the extent that the 45 staff members at the national headquarters has increased to over 100 people since the present management headed by Mr. Sylvester Mensah assumed office.

“We started with a staff strength of 27 about four years ago and has increased since then from time to time. We had issues of registration, proper supervision at the regional offices, management of claims and the quality of standards from the beginning and that made us increase our staff strength.

Whatever reason that made us effect increment about two years ago, the same are the bases for us broadening the number of employees in this institution.” The Director reacted.