At a time when service providers to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) have suspended services to subscribers due to huge indebtedness, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has allocated GH¢19.875m to Members of Parliament (MPs) for 2015.
For this year, each MP has been allocated an amount of G¢55, 000 to undertake a district health project.
The allocation for 2015 is, therefore, GH¢17.125m, in addition to GH¢2m for special projects.
Additionally, the authority has also allocated GH¢10, 000 to each MP for inspection of the health projects being undertaken by the MP.
The monitoring is separate from the project cost, which is also on the shoulders of the cash-strapped authority.
This amounts to GH¢2.75m for health-related monitoring and evaluation activities of the 275 Members of Parliament in their respective constituencies.
The figures were contained in a document titled ‘National Health Insurance Fund Allocation Formula 2015’.
Service providers who do not want to be named are questioning the rationale for the allocation of such a huge amount to MPs.
They explained that such allocations contribute greatly to the financial crisis facing the NHIS.
The service providers believe the allocation to MPs is misplaced, and they suspect it is “scratch my back I scratch your back.”
They are of the opinion that the allocation was to entice MPs to approve the budget of the NHIA.
According to the document, the NHIA is financing a number of health-related projects undertaken by MPs in their respective constituencies.
In the document, the NHIA explained that the projects are aimed at improving the health service delivery in their respective constituencies.
“These activities are expected to contribute towards the improvement of health services in their respective constituencies,” the document stated.
Apart from individual contributions from patrons of the NHIS into the NHIA coffers, every Ghanaian contributes towards the sustenance of the health insurance scheme by way of taxes under the Value Added Tax (VAT).
It is, however, unclear what sort of projects the MPs are monitoring and how this payment to them inures to the benefit of the authority, instead of the treatment of the contributors.
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