Agyemang-Manu: Health Minister explains why he doesn't use the NHIS card

The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has expressed his dissatisfaction with certain service providers under Ghana's National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), whom he accuses of extortion.

He claims that instead of benefiting from the scheme, poor subscribers are being overcharged and denied necessary services that they have already paid for.

During the Ghana Health Service Senior Managers Meeting 2023 on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, Mr Agyemang-Manu stated that the complaints from NHIS subscribers suggested that the scheme was not functioning correctly. 

He cited his own experiences, claiming that he had to pay for healthcare services out of his pocket when he visited hospitals like Ridge and the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC), even though he is an NHIS subscriber.

"I pay when I go to Ridge Hospital. I pay when I go to UGMC. I don’t even present my insurance card…," he said. "The complaints that are coming about how those who are subscribed to health insurance are treated in almost all our facilities...".

The Health Minister expressed concern about the increasing number of lawsuits being filed against health professionals for negligence. He noted that the number of such cases has risen significantly since he took office six years ago. He urged senior managers of the Ghana Health Service to take measures to address the situation and prevent further instances of extortion and negligence.