NHIA boss bids farewell

The immediate past Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr Nathaniel Otoo, has expressed gratitude to the staff of the authority for their commitment and dedication to work.

At a meeting to bid farewell to staff of the authority in Accra yesterday, he said, “what we have been able to achieve has been possible due to commitment from each one of you through your support and I am indeed grateful”.

Sources at the meeting said it was held at the instance of the outgoing NHIA boss to formally inform staff of his resignation from the authority after the change in government.

“I did my best and worked with a good team but I leave you and posterity to be the judge of my contribution,” he said, adding that “I am leaving the authority “so that fresh hands and ideas will be pumped into it. This is a good thing for the development of an organisation.”

The Deputy Chief Executive, Administration, Mr Edward Amissah-Nunoo, is currently the acting CEO of the authority.

The scheme presently has a membership of over 11 million and utilisation of 31 million.

Profile

Mr Otoo,who is a lawyer, joined the NHIA in 2006 from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) as the first Director of Administration and General Counsel for the authority.

In 2013, he was promoted to the position of Deputy Chief Executive of the NHIA in charge of Operations, where he supervised five key directorates, including Management Information Systems, Quality Assurance, Research and Development, Private Health Insurance, and Provider Payments.

In 2015, he was appointed as the acting Chief Executive after the exit of Mr Sylvester Mensah and was later confirmed by the Public Services Commission as the substantive CEO.

Contributions

In December 2016, Mr Otoo launched a new application for the authority dubbed “Claim It”. It was for healthcare providers to generate and submit claims to the NHIA.

He has also been instrumental in developing a lot of locally made systems and applications aimed at enhancing the work of the NHIA.

In April 2016, the NHIA under Mr Otoo launched an identity card authentication software known as the Navis Application which was developed in-house and sold to local banks to assist in their verification of customers who presented NHIS cards as a form of identification.

Under his tenure, the NHIA began the paperless registration of members which saved the Scheme about GH¢6 million annually.

In November 2016, NHIS introduced a flagship programme on pilot basis where card holders could renew their membership for two to four years. Known as the ‘Multi-year Renewal’ it is currently being expanded to other areas of the country.