The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) on Monday announced that it is linking the Scheme’s Card to the National Identification Authority's database to allow Ghana-Card holders to access affordable healthcare services.

Additionally, Ghana-Card holders could use their cards to access health services at all National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) accredited service providers across the country.

It formed part of the Government's policy direction to make Ghana-Card a standard card for accessing public services.

It would also speed up the country's quest to attaining the Universal Health Coverage ahead of the 2030 target.

This came to light when Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia launched the NHIS Week in Accra, on the theme: "NHIS - Leaving No One Behind".

The maiden Week celebration is to enable the Management and Board of the Scheme to interact with stakeholders, showcase innovative services to the public and highlight the Scheme's benefits.

This week alone, the waiting period of delayed renewals and new registrations has been waved.

In 2018, the NHIS also launched a mobile renewal application to enable NHIS cardholders to renew their cards using USSD code *929# and make payment through the mobile money system.

Vice President Bawumia, who delivered the keynote address, lauded the Management and Governing Board of the NHIS for introducing innovative services to promote access to affordable healthcare and asked them to develop an in-house capacity to own the system and ensure sustainability.

He said the integration of the NHIS and the National Identification cards marked a new dawn in the national health system, which was in tandem with government's digitisation agenda to formalise the economy.

Dr Bawumia described the new system as a game-changer that would improve accountability and transparency in the administration of the NHIS and improve its revenue mobilisation drive.

He urged the media to intensify public education on the benefits of the integrated system in view of the socio-economic importance that would be accrued to the country.

The Akufo-Addo-led government, upon assumption of office in 2017, had been leveraging on digital technology to upscale the provision of healthcare services and promote inclusive healthcare for all Ghanaians.

Dr Lydia Dsane-Selby, the Chief Executive Officer of the NHIA, said the Scheme had registered 23.1 million people nationwide, but only about 12 million subscribers were active.

She expressed the belief that the innovative services being provided would greatly improve the active people on the Scheme and even capture more.

The integration system, she said, would also improve primary healthcare and capture every citizen onto the Scheme for optimal services.

Dr Dsane-Selby said the NHIS was undertaking mapping of health service providers nationwide and would soon publish the map on its website for easy accessibility.

She noted that the integration system would enhance curative care rather than preventive healthcare.

Dr Dsane-Selby announced that the mobile renewal application introduced two years ago had improved efficiency, with NHIS mobile renewal hovering between 75 and 80 per cent to aid the country's quest for achieving a universal health coverage.

Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, Osu Mantse and President of Osu Traditional Council, who chaired the function, encouraged every citizen to register for the NHIS card in view of its enormous benefits.

He lauded Management for the innovation and expressed the belief that it would improve healthcare services in the country.