News
Exposed! NHIS card holders collect drugs for unregistered relatives in UWR
Some National Health Insurance Card holders in the Upper West Region are said to be using their cards to collect medicines from health facilities for their sick relations who are not beneficiaries of the insurance scheme.
“We have had instances where a family member who is healthy rather goes to a health facility with the symptoms of a sick relative who is not rolled onto the scheme, collects some drugs for free and take them to the sick person at home’.
Mr. Samuel Lobber, Upper West Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) who disclosed this in an interview with The Spectator again said that other clients also visited hospitals on regular basis just to collect drugs and keep at home for future use.
He described these practices as unhealthy and affront to quality healthcare delivery in the region and the nation in its entirety.
“I condemn such acts without hesitation as they are inimical to the operations of the NHIA and risky to the health of the clients,” he emphasised.
Over 32,000 persons in the Upper West Region have been registered for free under the National Health Insurance Scheme between January and June, 2021.
These included pregnant women who could not pay for healthcare services, children captured under the School Feeding Programmes, beneficiaries of the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) programme and other indigents who qualified for social services.
The Jirapa Municipality presented the highest number of more than 6,000 registrants whereas the Wa Municipality had the least number of registrants with a little over one thousand.
Explaining the rationale for the inclusion of indigents in the scheme, the Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority, Mr Samuel Lobber, said that the Authority was to attain nationwide coverage and to promote the agenda of universal health coverage.
“Although we pat ourselves on the back for the achievement, we are mindful of the need to increase the numbers in areas with less development and evident poverty so that such people are not left out of access to quality healthcare”, he said.
He stated that it was incumbent on the staff to adopt the innovative ways of identifying and reaching out to the target clients for this package and as well get them registered as some of them might be oblivious of the package that was due them.
He explained that even though the NHIA had captured over 77 per cent of the population in the region on the insurance scheme, revenue generation for the authority at Wa was lagging behind owing to the face that over 32,000 of its members were registered for free.
“The region is not doing so well when it comes to revenue mobilisation because of the high numbers of indigents but we should not throw our hands in despair because we can do better and must do better”, he said.
He advised clients to desist from abusing the scheme and ensured that they used the cards only when they genuinely required healthcare.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
News
CSA urges Universities to strengthen cybersecurity following university of Nottingham cyber-attack
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has cautioned universities and other operators of Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) in Ghana to comply with cybersecurity regulations following a recent cyber-attack on the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom.
In a press release issued on June 16, 2026, the Authority said the incident should serve as a warning to educational institutions that no organisation is immune to cyber threats, regardless of its size, reputation or technological capacity.
According to the CSA, the attack on the University of Nottingham is believed to have affected about 450,000 students and alumni, exposing sensitive information such as personal records, contact details, student identification information and financial data.
The Authority noted that although the breach occurred outside Ghana, it has important lessons for the country’s education sector as well as other critical sectors including health, telecommunications and transportation.
The CSA explained that Ghanaian universities are increasingly relying on digital technologies such as student information systems, online learning platforms, cloud services, digital payment systems and research collaborations.
While these technologies improve efficiency and access to services, they also create opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit vulnerabilities.
“The question is therefore not whether Ghanaian universities or other critical sectors will be attacked, but whether they are sufficiently prepared when an attack occurs,” the statement said.
The Authority reminded institutions to adhere to the Directive for the Protection of Critical Information Infrastructure, which was launched in October 2021 to strengthen cybersecurity across critical sectors.
According to the CSA, the directive requires organisations to establish cybersecurity governance structures, conduct risk assessments, implement security controls, report incidents, carry out regular audits and develop effective incident response plans.
The Authority said these measures are intended to reduce the likelihood and impact of cyber-attacks and help protect essential services and national interests.
By: Jacob Aggrey
Former NPP flagbearer aspirant, Kennedy Agyapong, has criticised both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the delayed completion of the Afari Military Hospital and other stalled health infrastructure projects.
Mr. Agyapong made the remarks on Tuesday after donating a pickup truck, an incubator and personal protective equipment (PPEs) to the 37 Military Hospital as part of activities marking his 66th birthday.
Speaking at the event, he said successive governments had failed to complete the Afari Military Hospital despite having years in office to do so.
According to him, the project was initiated during the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor and construction later commenced under the NDC.
Mr. Agyapong, who previously chaired Parliament’s Defence and Interior Committee, said he was aware of the project’s challenges and insisted that both the NPP and NDC should be held accountable for the delays.
“We will criticise the NDC and we will criticise the NPP. That’s the only way to go,” he said.
He noted that the previous NPP administration spent eight years in office without completing the facility and questioned attempts to place the blame solely on the current government.
The former Assin Central MP called on Ghanaians to put national development ahead of partisan politics and demand accountability from all political parties.
He said the country would make greater progress if leaders focused on completing critical projects and delivering results rather than engaging in political point-scoring.
By: Jacob Aggrey
