As part of efforts to transfer and share knowledge in the administration of Health Insurance Schemes, the University of Ghana Business School (UGBS) and the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) have come together to train staff in Ghana, Ethiopia and other African countries.
The project is also expected to provide continuous professional development for NHIS Staff in Ghana and other African countries implementing National Health Insurance Schemes.
The training which is being held with the support of the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) is dubbed NHIA-KOFIH Health Insurance Knowledge Sharing Centre NHIA Research Policy.
Speaking at the launch of the project on behalf of the Minister for Health, the Chief Director of the Ministry, Alhaji Hafiz Adam said the training was part of the partnership agreement between KOFIH and the National Health Insurance Scheme which started in 2013 to help Ghana achieve universal health coverage. He added that the training was part of the two objectives; research policy and agenda to guide research within the National Health Insurance Scheme.
“These two objectives are research policy and agenda that seeks to guide research within the NHIS and the training curriculum which seeks to provide continuous professional development courses for NHIS staff not only in Ghana but also for other National Health Insurance Scheme staff in sister African countries. That is why we see our Ethiopia brothers and sisters here”, he said.
Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, the Chief Executive Officer of NHIA who was the Guest of Honour at the launch, urged the fellows to take the opportunity of the training to gather enough knowledge to help the health insurance scheme grow and expand the enrolment.
He said it was the desire of the authority, the board and the supervising ministry to invest all they have in the staff of NHIS to become better persons for themselves and the country as a whole. He however reminded the fellows to note the importance of sharing the knowledge they acquire with their subordinates at the district level as that would help improve the scheme and the nation to reach universal health coverage.
He noted that as the National Health Insurance Scheme was 20 years, the management had decided to centralise all its efforts on knowledge sharing with other African countries.
“After being around for 20 years, we believe it is time to share knowledge and that is why this centre is being launched today”, he noted.
On his part, the Dean of the University of Ghana Business School, Professor Justice Mawole charged the fellows to engage throughout the training session as it was the only way to leave the centre transformed and meet their expectations.
