By: Hannah Dadzie
The Ministry of Health has clarified that the recent announcement regarding the mandatory health insurance policy for non-Ghanaian resident visitors is a proposal the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) and not a policy of government.
A statement released by the Ministry on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, said while the proposal aims to ensure that foreign nationals have access to healthcare during their stay in Ghana, it is important to note that it has not yet been discuss or approved by Cabinet. The Ministry is urging the public to disregard any misinformation that may suggest that the policy has been finalized and its mode of implementation settled.
At a media briefing last week on the modalities of the policy before its roll-out, Vice Chairman, Technical Working Group on the Visitors Health Insurance Scheme (VHIS) and Member of the NHIA Board, Dr Isaac Morrison, said from July 1, 2024, non-resident visitors arriving in Ghana will be required to have a health insurance policy before entry into Ghana.
He said it was to ensure that all visitors have access to necessary healthcare services during their stay in Ghana. Dr Isaac Morrison, said the move had become necessary following lessons learnt from the COVID-19, where foreign nationals fell ill and the country had to take care of them as there was no insurance in place.
But a statement released the Minister of Health, Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, said Cabinet is yet to discuss or approve it. The Ministry assured the public that any policy and its implementation shall be thoroughly scrutinized and taken through all necessary protocols to establish its benefits for the people of Ghana before being settled on.
