The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has played host to a delegation from the Sierra Leonean Social Health Insurance Scheme as part of a World Bank Project.
The delegation included experts from the Sierra Leonean ministries of health and sanitation and finance, health economists, district medical doctors and nurses, civil society organisation and revenue collection authority representatives.
The two-day study tour by the team, numbering close to 20, will include exchange of ideas through presentations by the various directors at the NHIA on the operations, successes and challenges faced by the authority.
It will be followed by a field visit to the NHIA regional and district offices, as well as hospitals, for the team to have firsthand information and practical understanding of how the Ghanaian health insurance scheme works.
Dr Baaba Selby, Acting Deputy Chief Executive in-charge of Operations, welcoming the delegation headed by Dr Amara Jambia, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Sierra Leone, and Dr Samuel A. S Kargbo, was pleased the World Bank has found the Ghanaian health insurance scheme worth learning from.
She said although the NHIA has hosted various delegations from Sierra Leone, this group is unique, as it consists of a variety of people from different backgrounds but working to ensure the social health insurance scheme in Sierra Leone thrives above challenges.
Dr Selby was, therefore, hopeful that the delegation would learn new things from the visit to enhance their healthcare delivery system back home.
Dr Amara Jambia, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, speaking on behalf of the delegation, was glad to be in a country that is implementing a healthcare scheme successfully despite its challenges.
“We are here to copy from you, edit it what we learn and fit it into our setting to ensure it benefits our people,” he said.
By Jamila AkOkertchiriweley