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Opinions of Thursday, 1 October 2020

Columnist: Sylvester Mensah

Re: Mahama’s promise of Free Primary Healthcare is a display of his ignorance - Dr Nsiah Asare

Former CEO of the NHIA, Sylvester MensahFormer CEO of the NHIA, Sylvester Mensah

Oftentimes when those who are supposed to know better as health professionals make untutored comments, I guess other reasonable health professionals feel grossly humiliated. Dr Anthony Nsiah Asare’s reaction and comments on NDC’s policy alternatives have always lacked critical reflection and bothered on cynicism with a deficiency in professional content. At best it's laden with needless emotions to please and appeal to his partisan base.

Any objective observer will admit that the NPP government has messed up both the health system and the NHIA they inherited from the NDC government under President John Dramani Mahama. They have no idea how to increase the membership or remove the limitations placed on access to healthcare services by the poor. Indeed NHIA coverage dropped to 34% in 2019 compared to 41% in 2015 into 2016.

The Mahama strategy is different and clear - change course and provides care for the people without limitations. It's simple - introduce Universal Free Primary Health Care. In other words, take the money factor out of access to primary health care for all Ghanaians, for the sick. Ghanaian Lives Matter...

What is your alternative Dr Nsiah Asare and President Nana Akufu Addo?