Tanzania has expressed the desire to replicate the successes of Ghana’s National Health Insurance Scheme to help strengthen its scheme, following the laurels chalked up by Ghana’s scheme internationally.
Paramount among the modules expected to be replicated are funding of the scheme, payment system, benefit package, exemption regime, among others.
The Minister of Health of Tanzania, Dr Hussein Ali, dropped the hint when he was giving his impression about Ghana’s scheme after leading a delegation to understudy the Ghana’s health insurance scheme.
The 17-member delegation comprises members of the Parliamentary Select Committee of Tanzania and representatives of various ministries and agencies.
They underwent studies in areas such as features of the NHIS, financial model, risk management, legal framework, provider payment mechanisms, accreditation, quality assurance and financial and fund management.
Familiarisation tours were also organised to expose the delegation to the NHIS Management Information System Installations and projects, claims processing centre, as well as some selected schemes and providers.
Dr Ali said the visit was occasioned by Tanzania’s decision to embark on universal coverage hence the need to learn from Ghana’s challenges and experiences.
He praised Ghana’s management of the scheme and foresight, and called for a stronger collaboration between both countries in terms of providing quality health financing.
Dr Ali expressed gratitude to the National Health Insurance Authority for the warm reception and knowledge shared with the delegation.
“We deem it necessary to replicate the lessons learnt, that is why we brought along the legislators to gain first-hand exposure and experience of the scheme,” he said.
The Executive Director of the NHIA, Mr Sylvester Mensah, revealed that despite the many challenges bedeviling the scheme, he was optimistic a solution to ensuring the sustainability would be found by the end of the year.
He said despite the challenges, Ghana’s NHIS had chalked up credible successes and advised Tanzania to roll out the scheme on a sustainable basis.
Mr Mensah further pledged the NHIA’s assistance to Tanzania to transform its National Health Insurance Scheme.
By Fred Dzakpata/Daily Graphic/Ghana
