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Health facilities in UWR charging illegal fees – NHIA
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• Mr Samuel Lobber granting interview
Though clients have registered with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) to derive its benefits, it is shocking to note that over 90 per cent of health facilities in the Upper West Region are involved in co-payment and charging of illegal fees from members.
The Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr Samuel Lobber who revealed this said the worrying situation has caused clients to lose confidence in the scheme and had affected patronage of the scheme across the country.
“This problem is not peculiar to the Upper West Region; it is a national issue which is being tackled head-on by the Authority to ensure that we sanitize the system to improve clients’ confidence and patronage of the scheme”, he said.
Mr Lobber said this on the sidelines of an annual review meeting by the Authority in the region on the theme; “Sustaining our gains on Universal Health Care- a collective responsibility”.
The Director disclosed that the credentials of about five facilities apprehended by the authority in the region last year were withheld for a period and those said facilities were surcharged to pay some monies to the authority to serve as deterrent to others and restore sanity in the system.
He said the reinstatement of the facilities in December last year after they had agreed to suspend their illegal practices was enable them to serve their clients.
He mentioned that to resolve the issue which had become a source of worry for the authority, co-payment committees have been constituted at the national, regional and district levels to ensure that such incidents were promptly identified, investigated and dealt with.
This committee is being supported by a monitoring and evaluation team in the field where clients who go on community outreach and are presented with complains of charging of illegal charges are able to investigate and report to the office to the head office for clinical audit report”, he added.
Explaining the issue, the Director said illegal fees and co-payment referred to charges that were levied clients owned NHIS cards at health facilities, even though the scheme covered those fees.
He said after charging the clients and refusing them receipts, the facilities sent claims to the NHIA for payment again; leading to double payment for one service rendered.
He used the opportunity to commend residents for embracing the scheme and massively patronizing their services and said, their acceptance had led to the region’s attainment of the universal health coverage (UHC).
He advised clients to be more vigilant and ensure that they were not paying for services that were covered by the Scheme.
Members were taught how to check for drugs and services covered by the scheme.
He called on healthcare providers to stop charging illegal fees and make the health and wellbeing of their clients a topmost priority in order to save lives.
From Lydia Darlington Fordjour, Wa
General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Justin Kodua Frimpong, has filed his nomination to contest the position of General Secretary again as the party begins its rebuilding efforts ahead of the 2028 general elections.
He was accompanied by party stalwarts and supporters who were in high spirits, expressing confidence that he is the right person to hold the position.
Speaking after filing his nomination, Mr Kodua Frimpong assured the rank and file of the party that he would not disappoint them.
“I can assure you that the faith the rank and file of the party have had in me, I will never disappoint them,” he said.
He also pledged to run a clean campaign devoid of personal attacks.
“I can assure you that our internal campaign will be devoid of personal attacks,” he told his fellow contestants and the rank and file of the party as he seeks to retain his position.
His tenure has seen the party through the 2024 general elections, where the NPP lost power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) after eight years in government.
The party is currently in a rebuilding phase, with internal elections scheduled to elect new national executives to lead its reorganization towards the 2028 polls.
The General Secretary position is considered one of the most influential in the party’s administrative structure, responsible for the day-to-day running of the party secretariat and implementation of party decisions.
By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme
The University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) has disputed claims made on social media by comedian Michael Blackson concerning the treatment given to his late mother, saying a review found that the allegations did not accurately reflect what happened during her stay at the hospital.
In a statement issued in Accra on August 5, 2026, the management of UGMC expressed condolences to Mr. Blackson and his family over the death of his 83-year-old mother, who died at the facility on July 16, 2026.
The hospital said it had taken the concerns raised by Mr. Blackson seriously and conducted a thorough review in line with its clinical and administrative procedures.
According to the statement, the facts presented by Mr. Blackson on social media contained “numerous inaccuracies” and did not accurately reflect the medical care provided to his mother.
UGMC explained that she was referred to the facility from another hospital and received treatment there from May 27 to July 16, 2026, a period of about eight weeks.
The hospital stated that it would not release details of her diagnosis, treatment, medical records or other aspects of her care because it had a duty to protect patient confidentiality, even after death.
It said the decision was intended to respect the dignity of the deceased and the privacy of her family.
UGMC further stated that all clinical decisions at the facility are made by qualified healthcare professionals based on medical judgment, established standards of care and the best interests of the patient.
The statement added that such decisions are made in consultation with authorised family representatives where necessary and that billing and financial procedures are governed by institutional policies and are separate from clinical decision-making.
The hospital noted that it values feedback from patients and their families and considers both positive and negative comments important for improving the quality of care.
Mr. Blackson had earlier used social media to criticise the care his mother received at UGMC, prompting the hospital’s response.
By: Jacob Aggrey
