The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Monday said it had a lodged complainant with the national security agencies to investigate and bring to book unscrupulous persons who were spreading rumours that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had ceased to operate.
"The Ministry wishes to assure the whole nation, that the NHIS is still operational and cannot be stopped by mere rumour peddling," Mr Abraham Dwumah Odoom, Deputy Minister of Health, said at a press conference in Accra.
He reiterated that the NHIS was established by an Act of Parliament and therefore remained solid.
The press conference comes in the wake of some health insurance subscribers calling at NHIS offices and media houses to complain that some unidentified individuals have been spreading rumours that people would be turned away if they attempt to access health with the NHIS cards.
The Deputy Minister said the rumour mongering started in Bantama, a suburb of Kumasi, in the Ashanti Region.
"While we appreciate that some persons or group of person may want to make political capital out of every situation, especially in the current political environment, we wish to strongly caution these person not to sacrifice such an important national scheme on the alter of political expediency," he warned.
Mr Odoom said the Ministry would not allow such lies and rumours to derail the gains made by the scheme as an important national poverty alleviation programme.
According to him all the 2,500 accredited provider institutions were operational and would continue to render services to over 12 million subscribers.
Giving a breakdown on the scheme's funds and indebtedness, the Deputy Minister explained that as at September 30, this year, 58 district mutual health insurance schemes had applied for distress funds totalling GH¢ 38,999,463 cedis.
According to him NHIS had processed and released to Mutual Schemes GH¢ 22,829,880 representing 37 out of the 58.
He said about 87 schemes had not yet applied for reimbursement.
However, he said, the total national indebtedness, in August this year stood at GH¢ 43,081,319 adding that the National Health Insurance Authority had released to all mutual schemes their fourth quarter subsidy.
"In the circumstances thereof, almost every Mutual Scheme is in the position to settle significantly their indebtedness to give the necessary comfort to the providers."
Mr Odoom further directed all providers to contact their respective scheme offices for settlement of their bills.