Kumasi, Feb. 5, GNA - The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is expected to reimburse a total of GH¢1.98 million to the Kumasi Metropolitan Health Directorate as outstanding debts as at December 2008. The total claims stood at GH¢4.27 million during the year under review out of which the reimbursed GH¢2.28 million.

Dr Kwasi Awudzi-Yeboah, Kumasi Metropolitan Director of Health, said this at an Annual Performance Review Meeting for 2008 in Kumasi on Tuesday. He bemoaned the culture of late reimbursement of claims to the health directorate, saying it was a key challenge which needed to be addressed to avoid the scheme's collapse.

Other challenges confronting the directorate were lack of means of transport, inadequate submission of reports from private facilities and untimely submission of reports from public. The meeting, which was attended by health workers from various health institutions and departmental heads and government officials, reviewed issues bordering on immunization, maternal mortalities and Morbidities, and tuberculosis. Dr Awudzi-Yeboah said there were 121 maternal death cases recorded at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital.