Public Agenda (Accra)
Ama Achiaa Amankwah and Aseye Nyandudzi
29 August 2008
The Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health (GCNH) has expressed concern about delays in reimbursement to health institutions under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
It said the situation poses a threat to the successful implementation and sustainability of the scheme and extensively affects the operations of the health institutions involved.
During at an interaction with the media in Accra, the National Chairman of GCNH, Mr. Charles Acquah said the coalition is lobbying government and the district assemblies to work to ensure that the right things are done at the grass root level, where it is alleged that most of the fraud takes place.
He indicated that infant mortality rate and under five mortality rate that have not seen much progress are some of the challenges facing health delivery in Ghana that need to be addressed.
"The coalition is necessary to complement government's efforts to give better health care and try to represent the voice of the voiceless, particularly those in deprived areas."
Mr. Acquah said the coalition has been able to partner the Ministry of Health to sensitize the public on diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, engaged in promoting environmental health and sanitation, as well as ensuring safe reproductive health.
"We have been engaging in advocacy towards policy formulation. We have been able to regulate members such that most of them are doing very well in the health sector", he added.
He conceded that some NGOs are operating for selfish motives, but then the picture is not that big as some critics claim, adding that majority of them are working hard to effect change and assured the public that the coalition would intensify its activities to make it more relevant to healthcare delivery.
The vision of the Ghana Coalition of NGOs in Health is to build a strong and dynamic Civil Society Umbrella Organization that will contribute to building a Ghana free of diseases and ill-health and has the motto "Working together to promote good health".
Its objectives include leading NGOs in health to advocate and campaign for quality health care for all and to promote research for health development.
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