The Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana has urged the government not to touch funds due the health sector in the debt restructuring exercise it has announced, as it will disrupt health service delivery in the country.
In a statement issued on December 7, the society warned the government against touching the National Health Insurance Scheme funds in particular.
It also urged the government to pay monies owed to suppliers of pharmaceutical products; adding that the government should not give the pensions of workers a haircut.
“The biggest financing mechanism for healthcare in Ghana is the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS). We, therefore, call on government to ensure that the NHIS funds are not touched or reduced in anyway and the funds are promptly released to the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) to ensure that the people of Ghana have unhindered access to healthcare, and efforts towards Universal Health Coverage (UHC) are not unduly affected by the current crises. We call on the Ministry of Finance and Parliament to ensure this is done and done timeously.
“All debts owed to suppliers of pharmaceutical products to healthcare facilities should be paid to avoid any disruptions in the supply of pharmaceuticals and other products in Ghana.
“We strongly advise government to ensure that pension funds are not impacted by the “haircuts announced by the Hon. Finance Minister on 4 December 2022, to enable beneficiaries of these funds to have access to their full benefits,” parts of the statement read.
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