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Tag: Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye

  • Minority to protest over locked up medical supplies at the Port

    Minority to protest over locked up medical supplies at the Port

    Minority in Parliament has declared its preparedness to stage protests if the government does not promptly resolve the issue of stalled containers holding crucial medical supplies at the Tema Port.

    Despite assurances from Health Minister Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye that efforts were underway to clear these containers, the Minority noted that several of them still languished uncleared at the port.

    “The Minority will not relent in our efforts to push-clear those locked-up commodities and drugs from the port,” they added.

    At a press conference in Parliament on Thursday, the Ranking Member of the Health Committee, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, said: “As we speak now, not all the containers of drugs and commodities at the port have been cleared.

    “We are a group of reasonable people, and so we have heard the plea by the Minister of Health that we should give him two weeks.

    “That notwithstanding, we have heard him, but we are sending a clear warning that within his own two weeks, all the containers of drugs should be cleared from the port, and not some as they have been doing,” he added.

    Mr Akandoh, who is also the MP for Juaboso, observed that in spite of persistant pressure on the government to clear all the containers, it was dragging its feet.

    In his view, the “insensitivity and irresponsibility” of the government had become legendary.

    “I think that when it comes to matters of health, the government must move with alacrity because it borders on the lives of the people,” he said.

    The government released some funds to the Ministry of Health last week to facilitate the clearance of essential medical supplies that had stalled at the Tema port for over a year now.

    “The Ministry of Health’s receipt of GH¢7,429,694.39 from the Ministry of Finance for the settlement of demurrage highlights a concerted effort to expedite the clearance of the medical commodities,” a release issued by the ministry said.

    The allocation was made to address the extended delay in clearing essential supplies donated by the Global Fund for Community Foundation, intended to support Ghana.

    These supplies, gifted by the Global Fund at no cost, have been stuck in bureaucratic hurdles, causing significant delays in their release from the port.

    The government is obligated to settle taxes, levies, and port charges totaling US$3.6 million, which are required to facilitate the release of these commodities.

  • Hospitals rejecting NHIA cards shall be deaccredited – Okoe-Boye

    CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Bernard Okoe-Boye, has stated that hospitals refusing to accept NHIA cards would soon lose their accreditation.

    In his view, it is important for hospitals to provide healthcare to all persons including people with NHIA cards.

    According to Dr Okoe-Boye, the refusal of hospitals to accept NHIA cards contradicts the principles upon which the authority was established and undermines the goal of achieving universal healthcare coverage and leaves vulnerable individuals without proper medical assistance.

    “Before the end of the year, some hospitals are going to be decredentialed by us, decredentialed means that they are going to lose their credentials. Any hospital that is decredentialed, I would not be surprised would go and bring Chiefs to come and beg because 80 per cent of all hospitals in Ghana, survive with NHIA so when we withdraw the license they cannot operate.

    “The IGF of 80 per cent of all hospitals in Ghana, as for government hospitals it is 90 per cent, they survive only because Health Insurance continues to pay them every month,” Dr Okoe-Boye said when speaking to the media on Tuesday, June 20.

    Dr. Okoe-Boye also expressed his frustration with the constant negative portrayal of the NHIA and its services.

    He believes that such criticism only serves to tarnish the reputation of an institution that has made significant strides in improving healthcare access for all citizens.

    The former Deputy Health Minister acknowledged that there is always room for improvement within any organization, including the NHIA, however, he believes that continuous bashing and negative portrayals hinder progress and do not contribute to the betterment of the healthcare system.

    He called for a change in the narrative and encouraged stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue with the NHIA to address any concerns and improve the delivery of healthcare services.


  • Economic crisis: Not all factors are external – Dr. Okoe Boye admits

    The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, has stated that not all the factors affecting the country’s economy are external.

    It will be recalled that on several occasions, government officials, including President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, have blamed the economic crises being experienced in the country on the effects of COVID-19 and the recent Russia-Ukraine War.

    But speaking on Thursday, November 3, 2022, edition of Good Morning Ghana and monitored by GhanaWeb, the former Member of Parliament for Ledzokuku explained that admittedly, some of the factors affecting the country are internal.

    He cited debt levels as part of the reasons the country is battling with the economy.

    “Not all the factors responsible for our situation are external; our debt levels are also not so good. Debt servicing swallows most of the funds we get,” he said.

    Not all the factors responsible for our situation are external; our debt levels are also not so good. Debt servicing swallows most of the funds we get – @OkoeBoye #GoodMorningGhana

    — Metropolitan Television (@metrotvgh) November 3, 2022

    Source: Ghanaweb