The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) says it is in deliberations with service providers and the pharmaceutical distributors to settle all debts owed them.
Communications Manager at the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Serlorm Adenu told Citi News the NHIA will make payments to the Ghana Chamber of Pharmacy before their ultimatum.
The chamber in a press statement said, ''effective February 10, 2014, there shall no longer be the supplies of medicines to these hospitals and service providers because of the strangling arrears owed them.''
According to the statement "The inordinate delay in the reimbursement by the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is impacting negatively on the financial strength as well as the survival of the distributors...''
But Speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr Adenu said ''before the 10th of February a lot of payments would have been advanced to them and the situation wouldn't arise...''
He further stated that the government has released funds for payments of claims to providers of NHIS.
''We are deliberating with them, we spoke with them today [Monday] and I am sure tomorrow there will be a meet to iron out the difference; but the point is that money has been released for the payment of the claims,�� he reiterated.
He however, dismissed claims it has failed to pay for drugs supplied to hospitals under the National Health Insurance Scheme since May 2013.
The Ghana Chamber of Pharmacy (GCP) on Monday issued a release instructing its members, made up of pharmaceutical distributors, to suspend supply of medicine to hospitals under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) across the country from February 10, 2014.
A statement signed by the Head of Research and Advocacy at the GCP, Stanley Adjei explained that the decision was arrived at due to the failure by the NHIA to reimburse distributors of medicines supplied.
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