The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has given an assurance that payments of medical claims from health facilities would now be swift and smooth, without hitches.
The Chief Executive Officer of the authority, Dr Victor Asare Bampoe, said there were enough funds to make the payments between 21 and 30 days upon receipt of the claims.
He said this when he paid a courtesy call on the Volta Regional Minister, James Gunu, at his office in Ho last week Tuesday, as part of his two-day duty tour of the Volta Region.
The visit was to enable Dr Bampoe to understand and identify the challenges facing the NHIA in the region.
He said the NHIA, with staff strength of about 5000, was definitely a crucial player in the resetting agenda, for which reason it was determined to address problems affecting its smooth operations in the municipalities and districts without delay.
In that regard, he said, the NHIA was also taking the appropriate steps to ensure favourable working environments for the staff countrywide.
Healthy population
For his part, the Regional Minister said the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) was committed to the total development of the region, and that required a healthy population.
“So, health insurance will play a key role in the realisation of that objective,” he said.
Mr Gunu gave an assurance that the VRCC would vigorously assist the NHIA to secure decent offices in all the municipalities and districts, and help to build the capacity of the staff.
He paid glowing tribute to Dr Bampoe for his dedication to duty, saying he was the right choice of the President for the job of the resetting agenda in the health sector.
The Regional Coordinating Director, Augustus Awity, said Universal Health Coverage (UHC) was part of the resetting agenda.
Therefore, he said, it was gratifying to note that long delays associated with the payment of claims were now a thing of the past.
The NHIA CEO, who was accompanied by other officials of the authority from Accra and the Volta Region, later left for the Oti Region for a similar visit.
