Some subscribers of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) who patronize the services of the Ketu South Municipal Hospital at Aflao are accusing officials of the hospital of extorting money from them for services covered by the Scheme.
Three women who delivered at the Ketu South Municipal Hospital through Cesarean section alleged that pregnant women are made to pay about 200 cedis before surgical operations are done on them.
They also complained that the drugs that were supposed to be covered under the NHIS, were sold to them at exorbitant prices.
“My sister was in labour last Saturday and I took her to the hospital but she had challenges in delivery so the nurses drew the attention of a doctor who told me my sister will be operated upon. The doctor took me to a room with a nurse who had a paper that looked like a consent form in hand”
“The doctor then said he would take 200 cedis whilst the anaesthetist would also take between 120-150 cedis. When I looked at my sister in labour, I asked myself whether she should die because of 350 cedis. I committed to paying the money. Then the nurse gave a paper to sign and then I went out in search for the money,” a patient’s sister said.
The Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the Health Insurance Scheme in the Keta South Municipality said these claims had been brought to his attention but refused to comment further.
The administrator, Charle Dokornu, who spoke to Citi News said the allegations are new to management.
“It is something new to management, we have no idea about that. We want to assure clients that we will investigate the matter and give feedbacks to clients who have been directly affected by such acts,” he said.
Last year the National Health Insurance Authority received information that a pregnant woman had been ripped off of GHC750 at the Tema General Hospital before her baby was delivered.
Some doctors and nurses at the Tamale Teaching Hospital in the Northern region were also caught extorting monies from patients despite free healthcare services under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
