The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Membership and Regional Operations (MRO) Directorate is poised for achieving 20.8 million active membership of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) ending the year 2024.

It is against this background that the Authority's regional and district management teams have been tasked to go the extra mile and attain their annual targets.

This was at a two-day Mid-Year Performance Review Meeting organized by the MRO Directorate in Kumasi to assess the progress made during the period under review. In her key note address,  the NHIA Deputy Chief Executive (DCE), responsible for Operations, Louisa Atta-Agyemang (Mrs.) emphasized the need for the frontline staff to up their game and make it possible to achieve the projected 20.8 million NHIS active membership, to end the year 2024.

As the meeting's Chairperson, she motivated the staff to strive for excellence to surpass the targets set for the year in relation to NHIS membership mobilization and revenue collection through digitalization and effective management strategies.

"The journey ahead is challenging, but it is also full of opportunities. With the dedication and expertise of the NHIA team, we are confident that we will not only meet but exceed our targets for 2024 of enrolling 20.8 million active members that will translate to 63% of the Population Coverage."

"As we move forward, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to providing accessible, equitable, and quality healthcare for all Ghanaians. Together, we will continue to build a healthier nation. I have that confidence in the team gathered here, and I know it is possible."

"Technology has also played a pivotal role in our progress. The digital transformation agenda that we embarked on is now bearing fruit. The introduction of the MyNHIS App has revolutionized our operations, making the registration process more seamless and improving data management. This technological advancement is not just about modernizing our systems; it is about ensuring that every Ghanaian, regardless of their location, has access to the quality healthcare services they deserve."

"Our continuous efforts to increase membership enrollment is yielding positive results, with a notable increase in active membership compared to the same period last year. This upward trend in enrollment reflects our commitment to extending healthcare coverage to more Ghanaians, bringing us closer to realizing the goal of universal health coverage (UHC)."

Other Speakers

While the Convener, Ag. Director Membership and Regional Operations Directorate (MRO), Mr. Oti Frempong urged the stakeholders to close the gap and work towards achieving their annual targets, the Ag. Director of Administration, Mr. Raymond Avinu commended the regional management teams and reassured them of Executive Management's commitment to solve their operational challenges. The Middle Belt Operations Director, Mr. Tweneboah-Kodua reminded them to work harder to drive up the NHIS active membership to augment  Ghana's agenda to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by the year 2030, and his colleague, the Northern Belt Operations Director Mr. Titus Sorey called for proactive strategies to enhance the NHIS operations.  

Resource Persons

A Deputy Director of the MRO Directorate, Mr. Sebastian Alagpulinsa  gave an overview of the regional performances  and said there was more room for improvement.

A Deputy Director, in charge of Business Systems, of the  Management Information Systems (MIS) Directorate, Mr. Joe Annor-Darkwah highlighted  the organization's deployment of digitization to plug financial leakages in its operations. A Deputy Director with the Finance Directorate, Mr. George Asamoah-Baah's  presentation focused on the rollout of the Government's Integrated Financial System (GIF MIS), matters arising, and the way forward.

There were presentations on the various regional performances and the way forward that necessitated discussions and brainstorming, resulting in decisions expected to further enhance the NHIS active membership increment.

Exceptional performance

  The Bono and Bono East Regions received special praise for their outstanding performance during the period under review.

The regional management teams renewed their commitment to achieve their annual targets, in line with the projected 20.8 million agenda.  

Challenges

The meeting shed light on some operational challenges, including inadequate operational vehicles and insufficient staff in some districts.

Source: ABDUL KARIM NAATOGMAH