Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye, NHIA CEO, in discussion with GIZ delegation
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, has stated that plans are underway for the Authority to include the treatment of prostate cancer and mental health care into the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the country.
He made this disclosure during engagement between management of NHIA and stakeholders, such as the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). The engagement was aimed at incorporating prostate cancer into the NHIS health benefits package.
The CEO noted that prostate cancer is an area of care crucial to the NHIA following the inclusion of breast cancer and cervical cancer care in the Scheme.
He added that the NHIA in partnership with the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) is currently drawing a roadmap to factor in preventive and curative care of prostate cancer to ease the burden of NHIS active members who suffer this ailment.
Quality health care
Dr. Okoe Boye stressed that the Authority is focused on the sustainability of quality healthcare to the citizenry.
He noted that there is the need to thoroughly probe further on its cost, the depth of assistance to be offered by GIZ, post partnership sustainability, and the actuarial models that will make this addition non-burdensome to the NHIA and consequently, serve as a lifetime relief to patients.
He disclosed that the NHIS, currently, covers treatments related to the disease up until the point where patients are diagnosed.
“The consultations, lab tests, and other medical procedures leading to the actual prostate cancer diagnosis are fully covered by the Scheme and this NHIS-GIZ partnership seeks to go beyond the diagnosis to cover prostate cancer treatment fully,” he indicated.
The GIZ, led by the Technical Advisor, Fred Darko Effah, pledged its support for the smooth inclusion of prostate cancer care on the NHIS benefit package.
Mr Darko Effah also bemoaned the limited awareness of prostate cancer in Ghana, saying “the lapse in information dissemination caused a heightened interest for the German Agency for International Cooperation to explore the assistance they can offer to remedy the situation”.
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