Outgoing National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Chief Executive and minister designate for Health, Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye has commissioned a newly constructed ultramodern regional NHIA office complex for the Savanah Region in Damongo.
At a brief ceremony to unveil the building on Thursday 15th February 2024 in Damongo, Dr Okoe-Boye thanked the people of Damongo for working closely with the office of the National Health Insurance Authority over the years and assured the people of the Savanah Region that the authority will make sure everything is done possible for everybody in the region can go to the hospital to access health care without any hindrance.
He said everything happening today is going to be history someday as the unborn generation may not know the struggles of today that yielded the fruits that they would be benefiting during their time hence,thanks and praises should be given to the government of the day led by HE Nana Akuffo-Addo and the Damongowura for it is during their time that all these is happening in Damongo.
Dr Okoe-Boye said he is very much happy that the Akufo-Addo government has supported the NHIA with funds which many health facilities can attest to and went further to disclose that the NHIA pays an average of Ghc170 million every 30days in the last 24 months to health facilities across the country which in the past used not to be so.
He urged health facilities in the country to improve in their behavior of taking money from patients with the NHIA cards must immediately stop adding that he has issued letters to some of the facilities noted for their involvement in such conduct which is yielding results.
He used the opportunity to launch the NHIA Experience Stand in the region which will ensure that all NHIA related complains and issues will immediately be attended to by workers of the NHIA right before the stand in every health facility in the country instead calling the office lines or moving to the office to fix the problem.
Dr Okoe Boye mentioned that with his elevation to the office of the Minister of health, the Savanah Region will surely not be left out when it comes to matters of health and urged the Chiefs and people of the Savanah Region to always support the Akufo-Addo government with prayer to help in the development of the region.
The Savanah Regional Minister Mr Saeed Jibril Muhazu in an address could not hide his joy with the level of infrastructural development in the newly created Savanah Region and mentioned the importance of health care service to the people of the region. He said the office complex will serve as the nerve center for coordinating and implementing health insurance policies in the region and house health professionals who will ensure no one in the region is left behind in terms of their health accessibility.
He disclosed that the Municipal Health Insurance Office complex construction is also near completion and used the opportunity to thank the chief executive officer of the NHIA for giving the region 3 brand new pickup vehicles for the operation of the NHIA and urged the staff of the NHIA to work towards quality health care system in the region.
The Savannah Regional Minister appealed to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to attend to some challenges that is confronting the NHIA in the region including inadequate staff and vehicles especially in the Sawla-Tuna-Kalba district and the Bole district of the Savanah Region and again appealed to the management of the NHIA to separate the Kpandai district from the Savanah Region since the report to the Northern region.
Chief Dauda Mahama, the Savanah Regional Manager of the NHIA in a speech praised the executive management of the authority for providing the region with the beautiful office complex and assured them that proper care would be taken to ensure the office remains in good shape for a long time.
Meanwhile the Paaramount chief of the Damongo Traditional area, Damongowura Kelly Seidu Braimah in a speech read on his behalf thanked the NHIA for the office complex since access to proper health care leads to development in the area. He said the role of the NHIA cannot be over emphasize since health is wealth and used the opportunity to congratulate the NHIA CEO for his elevation to the office of health minister of Ghana.
Damongowura Kelly Seidu Braimah used the opportunity to also appeal to the Minister designate for health to expedite action in the construction of the Savanah Regional hospital which will help in the improvement of the health situation in the region.
Present at the ceremony were traditional authorities from the Gonja traditional area, staff of the NHIA and many dignitaries from the Savanah Region.
Source: nkilgifmonline.com
