According to him, the current financing model of the scheme was flawed and a review could save the NHIS from collapse.

That, he explained, was because about 70 per cent of the beneficiaries could not afford to pay anything towards the scheme.

No cash and carry

Addressing members of the Trades Union Congress (TUC) on how to ensure the sustenance of the NHIS in Cape Coast last Tuesday, Dr Annor said it was important for Ghanaians to understand that some people would have to pay for those who could not pay in order to sustain the scheme.

He explained that in many economies the upper and the middle classes were tied to the responsibility for paying some form of social security to help protect the vulnerable in society.

He said to avoid the temptation of going back to the cash-and-carry system, it was important to devise more efficient financing models for the scheme.

Inadequate funds

Dr Annor stated, for instance, that with the current scheme, a beneficiary averagely used $30 a year, which he noted was woefully inadequate to cater for one’s healthcare needs for a year.

He said efforts would also be made to ensure that the informal sector came on board to support the sustenance of the scheme.

Stamp out corruption

He stressed the need to stamp out corruption to encourage many more people to support the scheme and make it more efficient.

He called for the removal of judicial delays in dealing with corrupt cases linked to the scheme and its officials and harsher punishment for those found guilty to deter others from misusing the funds for improved health care.

The Secretary General of the TUC, Dr Anthony Yaw Baah, said workers were concerned about corrupt practices at the NHIS and called for proper monitoring to allay the fears of workers who contributed to the scheme.