A newly seventeen member board of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has been inaugurated to ensure timely release of funds to service providers to prevent illegal charges at the various health facilities.
The minister for health, Mr.Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has tasked the newly inaugurated board members to among others ensure more people acquire the NHIS card for quality healthcare delivery across the country.
He encouraged members of the board to ensure efficient use budgetary allocation to the service and also ensure that the funds are efficiently used to the benefit of the Ghanaian people.
Mr Agyemang-Manu further cautioned the board against too much interference in the work of management.
The chairperson of the newly inaugurated board, Dr. Ernest Kwarko promised to make the service more viable to the people of Ghana.
The board is to device innovative ways of mobilizing financial resources to improve the performance of the sector.
It has Dr. Ernest K.P. Kwarko as the Chairman. Other members are Dr. Lydia Dsane-Selby, Chief Executive Officer of NHIA, Kwabena Boadu Oku-Afari, Ministry of Health, Dr. Patrick Kumah-Aboagye Director General of Ghana Health Service, Dr. Justice Ofori, National Insurance Commission, Mrs Elizabeth Aggrey-Ampiah, SSNIT representative, Dr Charles Noble Morrison, Medical and Dental profession.
Others include Dr Slyvester Yaw Oppong, health professional, Odeneho Akosua Fema Dwebenh ll, and Madam Joyce Konokie Zempareboth NHIS representatives.
The rest are Prof Christian Agyare, Pharmacy profession, Mr Kwasi Asante, Finance profession, Samuel Erikson Abakah, legal practitioner, Bernard Okoe Boye, health professional
Mr. Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, Minister of Health, inaugurating the board urged them to work diligently and selflessly to turn round the fortunes of the authority which will in turn translate in the improvement of health service delivery.
He said the authority is charged with providing quality and affordable services to the citizens and ensures access to basic health care services in the country.