Dr William Darko, Acting Medical Officer in-charge of the Tema Polyclinic, has said the delay in the payment of the NHIS bills has made it difficult for the Polyclinic to purchase drugs to run the facility.

He said the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is yet to pay the Tema Polyclinic 300,000 Ghana cedis being funds it owes to the facility since September 2012.

Speaking at a two-day “2012 Annual Performance Review Conference” of the Tema Metropolitan Health Services in Tema, Dr Darko explained that the last time the Polyclinic received a refund from the NHIS was in August 2012.

He said the situation had led to the medical stores refusing to supply more medication to the Polyclinic and had also resulted only in the writing of prescriptions to patients to buy their own medication outside the facility.

Dr Darko appealed to the National Health Insurance Council to refund medical bills to facilities providing the service to enable them effectively run those facilities.

Dr John B.K. Yabani, Tema Metropolitan Health Director, said while it was the duty of the health sector to advice the public on good health practices and the provision of good medical care, it was the responsibility of the public and stakeholders to ensure that unhealthy practices were either prevented or avoided.

Presentations were also given by representatives of Kpone, Appolonia, Kpone-Bawaleshi and Manhean Health Centres amongst others.