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· Strives to improve Access to Healthcare
The leadership of the National
Identification Authority (NIA) met with the management of the National Health
Insurance Authority (NHIA) yesterday to discuss strategies for enhancing their
collaborative initiative to register children aged 6 to 14 on the national
identity register and issue them with Ghana Cards.
The initiative aims to ensure
that children within this age group have access to the Ghana Card, which is
gradually replacing the NHIS card, thereby facilitating their access to
healthcare as part of Ghana’s drive towards achieving Universal Health Coverage
(UHC). This collaboration between the
NHIA and NIA focuses on providing healthcare access and ensuring that every
Ghanaian child is properly identified within our national system.
Key issues discussed during the
meeting included operational challenges in registering children aged 6 to 14, a
backlog of 300,000 unprinted registration cards, and outstanding financial
challenges. Both institutions renewed their
commitment to expedite the resolution of outstanding challenges and to present
a structured implementation plan within the next three to four weeks.
The collaboration is expected to
significantly improve healthcare access for children and strengthen the
country’s national identity management system.
NIA CEO
The Chief Executive of the
National Identification Authority (NIA), Wisdom Doku, reaffirmed the
institution’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with the NHIA to
address key challenges in the registration of Ghanaian children aged 6 to 14
for the Ghana Card. Speaking during a high-level
meeting between the two institutions, the NIA Acting Executive Secretary
congratulated the newly appointed NHIA CEO, noting that his leadership and
proactive approach would be instrumental in advancing collaborative efforts.
He emphasised the need to resolve
two pressing issues: the challenges encountered in the registration process and
some financial issues. We are here on two main issues: first,
the challenges faced in registering the target group and printing their cards,
and second, the debt owed to the NIA by the NHIA. There is an existing
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) regarding the registration of Ghanaians aged
6 to 14 years old, which commenced last year but was halted due to several
reasons. It is important to reactivate this initiative so that registration can
continue,” he stated.
He proposed the formation of a
sub-committee to address operational bottlenecks and recommend solutions that
would enable both organisations to achieve their objectives efficiently.
Additionally, he urged his team
to explore the feasibility of deploying more efficient printers from the NIA to
clear the backlog of cards to be printed in response to the NHIA’s presentation
on the immediate steps taken in recent times to expedite the printing of the
backlog of over 300,000 cards as soon as possible.
To move forward, Mr. Doku
suggested forming a joint team to develop a clear roadmap for resuming the
registration exercise while mitigating the previous challenges.
However, he expressed concerns
over the NIA’s budget constraints, noting that funding for the initiative had
been significantly reduced.
He urged the NHIA to consider sharing the
financial burden to ensure the registration exercise continues without
setbacks.
“Our technical expertise and
equipment are ready, but given the budgetary cuts, we will need financial
support to carry out this registration effectively,” he said.
NHIA Response
Dr. Victor Bampoe, CEO of the
NHIA, emphasised the urgency of resolving these issues, particularly in light
of the president's free primary healthcare initiative that seeks to enhance
healthcare access and quality of service delivery towards UHC.
He emphasized the importance of
targeting the age group, as it represents a significant constituency.
He described children in this age
group as a crucial demographic in achieving UHC, stating, "This is a top
priority for us, and we need to take immediate action. We must develop a clear
roadmap to resolve these issues,” he said.
Regarding the financial
challenges, Dr. Bampoe recommended that both leadership teams consult their
respective sector ministers for a resolution.
He said the amount involved was
not within the purview of the two CEOs to address independently, a suggestion
that was unanimously supported by all present.
Highlight of Operational
Challenges
On behalf of the NIA, Alfred Gazari
provided a detailed overview of the registration exercise and the difficulties
faced. He explained that the collaboration between the NIA and NHIA started on
October 4, 2024, with the first phase scheduled to run for five months.
However, unforeseen
challenges—including delays in instant card printing and financial constraints
affecting payments to contracted personnel—led to the suspension of the
exercise by the end of November.
“We encountered major challenges
right from the beginning.
The plan was to print and issue cards instantly to
registered children, but we faced difficulties with the printing process.
Additionally, by mid-November, payments to engaged personnel became a significant
issue. These two factors forced us to notify NHIA and put the registration on
hold to reassess our approach,” Gaari explained. He said despite initial efforts,
the printing backlog has yet to be cleared, with approximately 300,000 cards
still pending.
Throwing more light on the debt
in question, Theresa Eson-Benjamin of the NIA highlighted the longstanding
financial obligations of NHIA, tracing back to a Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) signed in 2018. Under this agreement, the NHIA was to utilise the NIA’s
identity verification system and Ghana Card infrastructure to streamline its
operations.
Joe Annor-Darkwah presented the
NHIA’s plan to resume the printing of the backlogs.
He indicated that NHIA had
engaged all regional offices and was prepared to proceed with the process,
pending technical support from the NIA.
“Discussions on the scope of the
resumption have been finalized, and operational teams are ready to begin work,”
he said.
Present at the discussions were
senior officials from both organisations, including NHIA’s, Deputy Chief
Executive, Admin & HR, Mr Raphael Segkpeb; Mr. Francis Oti Frempong,
Director, Membership and Regional Operations; Dr. Gustav Cruickshank, Director,
Financial Accounting; Mr. Daniel Blankson, Ag. Director, MIS; Mr. Vitus G.
Kaleo-Bioh, Deputy Director MIS and Mr.
Oswald Essuah-Mensah, Ag. Director, Corporate Affairs.
SOURCE: DOREEN ANDOH
PHOTO: iSAAC HAGAN
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