Hot!
Hospitals refusing NHIA cards to be decredentialed – Okoe-Boye warns
The CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority, (NHIA) Dr Bernard Okoe-Boye has warned that hospitals refusing to accept the NHIA cards will soon be decredentialed.
In his view, it is important for hospitals to provide healthcare to all persons including people with NHIA cards.
According to Dr Okoe-Boye, the refusal of hospitals to accept NHIA cards contradicts the principles upon which the authority was established and undermines the goal of achieving universal healthcare coverage and leaves vulnerable individuals without proper medical assistance.
“Before the end of the year, some hospitals are going to be decredentialed by us, decredentialed means that they are going to lose their credentials. Any hospital that is decredentialed, I would not be surprised would go and bring Chiefs to come and beg because 80 per cent of all hospitals in Ghana, survive with NHIA so when we withdraw the license they cannot operate.
“The IGF of 80 per cent of all hospitals in Ghana, as for government hospitals it is 90 per cent, they survive only because Health Insurance continues to pay them every month,” Dr Okoe-Boye said on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, June 20.
Dr. Okoe-Boye also expressed his frustration with the constant negative portrayal of the NHIA and its services.
He believes that such criticism only serves to tarnish the reputation of an institution that has made significant strides in improving healthcare access for all citizens.
The former Deputy Health Minister acknowledged that there is always room for improvement within any organization, including the NHIA, however, he believes that continuous bashing and negative portrayals hinder progress and do not contribute to the betterment of the healthcare system.
He called for a change in the narrative and encouraged stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue with the NHIA to address any concerns and improve the delivery of healthcare services.
Credit: Citinewsroomm.com
The Dzidula Pink Foundation, a new organisation dedicated to cancer awareness, early detection, and patient support, has been officially launched in Accra, with a passionate call for national commitment to fighting the disease. The launch event, held last week Friday, carried the theme: “Beyond the diagnosis: A future of restoration, care and courage.”
Speaking at the event, Madam Abena Brigidi, founder and CEO of Nimed Capital Limited, emphasised that cancer remains one of the most devastating health challenges facing families across the country. “Cancer does not discriminate—it affects mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons. It drains families emotionally and financially, and behind every statistic is a human story and a future suddenly thrown into uncertainty,” she said.
Sharing her personal encounters with cancer, having lost both her husband and father to the disease, Madam Brigidi highlighted the emotional, financial, and physical scars left behind. “I stand here not just as a speaker, but as a witness to what cancer can take away,” she stated. “I have watched loved ones fight bravely, and I have felt the deep pain that loss leaves behind.”
She stressed that awareness and early detection are critical to reducing deaths, noting that many Ghanaians still lack access to proper screening, reliable information, and adequate treatment. She appealed to healthcare professionals, corporate institutions, policymakers, the media, and the general public to join hands in the fight. “Early detection saves lives. Your support today can lead to someone’s healing tomorrow,” she said.
Madam Brigidi further called for collective responsibility to sustain the foundation’s mission. “To our medical professionals, we need your expertise. To corporate partners, your resources. To the media, your voice. To policymakers, your support. And to the public, your compassion,” she urged. She also insisted that breast cancer awareness should not be limited to annual campaigns, saying, “Breast cancer awareness must not be seasonal.”
Mrs Diana Fafa Gozo, founder of the Dzidula Pink Foundation, shared her own cancer journey, describing the shock of diagnosis, the fear that followed, and the difficult path through treatment. Her experience transformed her pain into purpose and inspired her to create a foundation to ensure no cancer patient walks alone.
Mrs Gozo explained that many patients struggle not only with treatment costs but also with emotional resilience. She outlined the foundation’s initiatives, which include awareness and early detection campaigns, patient support funds, community outreach, and survival support circles. “This foundation is my offering of gratitude, courage, and compassion and a reminder that no one should walk the cancer journey alone,” she concluded.
By Esinam Jemima Kuatsinu
Join our WhatsApp Channel now!
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VbBElzjInlqHhl1aTU27
The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) says it will deploy teams of Public Health Officers, members of its Sanitation Taskforce, and labourers, including sweepers and janitors, across all sub-metros to support the third National Sanitation Day exercise.
It explained that these teams will be equipped with waste collection trucks, tippers, and other tools to help with desilting, refuse collection, and transporting waste to approved disposal sites.
The AMA reminded residents that failing to comply with the sanitation directive or refusing to participate in communal labour is an offence.
It said offenders risk a fine of up to 100 penalty units, imprisonment between 30 days and six months, or both, with repeat offenders liable to additional daily penalties.
It urged all residents, traders, transport operators, market women, shop owners, landlords, tenants, and businesses to actively participate in the exercise.
The AMA said it counts on everyone’s collective responsibility to keep Accra clean, liveable, and resilient, especially as the city approaches Christmas and the New Year.
By: Jacob Aggrey
