The National Democratic Congress (NDC) spokesperson on health, Sylvester Mensah has criticised the presidential advisor on health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare over the latter’s comment on the NDC’s promise of providing free primary healthcare to Ghanaians. Mr Mensah said the comment by Dr Nsiah Asare was borne out of poor reflection on the subject.
Mr. Asare in a recent media engagement ridiculed the NDC flagbearer, John Mahama’s, saying that his campaign promise on health is a display of ignorance.
John Mahama at a recent meeting with chiefs and people of the Upper West region in explaining his party’s promise to make primary healthcare free said this will quicken Ghana’s march to Universal Health Coverage.
“It is the aim of all countries to attain what we call Universal Healthcare. Unfortunately, our National Health Insurance Scheme makes it difficult for us to obtain this objective because the payment of premiums at the lower rank of the health delivery system makes it difficult for everybody to be able to access quality healthcare. So we are breaking a new program to supplement the NHIS.”
According to the NDC flagbearer, “this programme and plan we are bringing is going to be implemented and supervised by the NHIS, but it is going to be a program for free primary healthcare so that at the level of the CHPS compound, polyclinics and health centres all Ghanaians will have access to free healthcare whether they possess a national health insurance card or not.”
Dr Nsiah Asare, however, thinks the promise has nothing new to offer since the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is already catering for the basic health needs of Ghanaians.
But in a response, Sylvester Mensah who speaks for the NDC campaign on health said Mr. Asare’s comment smacks of ignorance on the subject, adding that his criticism of the policy promise is without any proper professional consideration or critical reflection.
“Often times when those who are supposed to know better as health professionals make untutored comments, I guess other reasonable health professionals feel grossly humiliated. Dr 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.”, he said.
Mr Mensah who is also a former Chief Executive of the NHIA, further criticised the government for lacking ideas on how to increase the membership of the NHIS three and half years after taking office. “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,” Mr Mensah said.
“What is your alternative, Dr. Nsiah Asare and President Nana Akufo-Addo?” he dared the Presidential advisor on health.
Here is Mr. Mensah’s full reply:
Re – Mahama’s promise of Free Primary Healthcare is a display of his ignorance – Dr Nsiah Asare?
Often times when those who are supposed to know better as health professionals make untutored comments, I guess other reasonable health professionals feel grossly humiliated. Dr Nsiah Asare’s reaction and comments on NDC’s policy alternatives have always lacked critical reflection and bordered 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 totally messed up both the health system and the NHIA they inherited from the NDC government under President John 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 Akufo-Addo?
