President of the Ghana Medical Association (GMA),Dr. Frank Serebour, has dismissed claims made by the association’s former General Secretary, Professor Titus K. Beyuo, about the origins and implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
In a detailed interview with Pure FM’s Evans Osei-Bonsu, Dr. Serebour clarified that, contrary to Prof. Beyuo’s assertion that the scheme was initially implemented by the NDC, it was actually the administration of former President John Kufuor that introduced the policy.
He highlighted the significant role the GMA played in formulating and executing the policy, noting that the NPP administration, under President Kufuor, actively sought the association’s input and expertise.
“We, as a group, do not involve ourselves in the politics of the policy. This is why we continue to express our concerns about the challenges the Scheme faces, despite seeing significant successes in addressing most of our concerns.
We played a crucial role in the formulation, piloting, and execution of the policy, and for that reason, I can affirm that it was H.E John Agyekum Kufuor’s government that originally initiated and piloted the concept of health insurance in Ghana, contrary to Professor Beyuo’s claim.”
Background
Professor Titus K. Beyuo, former Secretary of the Ghana Medical Association and current NDC parliamentary candidate for Lambussie, challenged the ruling New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) claims about the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) during Adom TV’s Badwam Sectorial Debate at the Accra Digital Center on Friday.
He asserted that the NPP’s statement that the NHIS was established under President John Agyekum Kufuor in 2003 is false. According to Professor Beyuo, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was the original architect and implementer of the health insurance concept in Ghana.
“The NDC initiated health insurance with a National Health Insurance concept but faced strong opposition from the NPP, with Dr. Addo-Kufuor being particularly vocal.
The concept of NHIS was first introduced under former President Jerry John Rawlings, who planned and piloted it.
“However, when the NPP came to power, they passed the NHIS Act, Act 650.
This act established district mutual health schemes, private mutual health insurance schemes, and commercial ones, but there was no provision for a national scheme, despite the act being called a national insurance act.
The NDC later repealed that act and established a truly national scheme,” Prof Beyuo explained.