The Northern Regional Directorate of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), identified and fixed some irregularities by health facilities that were engaged in illegal charges and money extortions in 2020.

Mr Issahaku Abdul-Latif, Northern Regional Director of the Authority, who disclosed this at the annual performance review of the Authority for 2020, indicated that prompt measures were put in place to deal with such concerns to enhance equal health service delivery to clients.

The performance review was organized in Tamale, and brought together selected District Managers of the National Health Insurance Schemes (NHIS) in the Region, and afforded them the opportunity to review 2020 regional activities in terms of achievements on membership, staffing, logistics, challenges and strategies to meet set goals for 2021 and beyond.

Mr Abdul-Latif, commended Staff of the NHIS in the various districts in the Region for their commitment and professionalism,in spite of some challenges they were confronted with in their line of work.

He said registered members on the NHIS in the Northern Region stood at 964, 800 members last year, as against 996, 113 targeted clients.

He noted that in 2020 a total of 93, 859 core poor and pregnant women classified as indigents were registered for free as against a total of 161, 327 of same category in 2019.

On mobile renewal, Mr Abdul-Latif said "By end of 2019, the region renewed in excess of 253, 154 more people via the mobile renewal system. By the close of the year 2020, the number of people who have renewed their cards using the Membership Renewal Service increased to 301, 485 people".

"This implies that a whopping 71 percent of those who renewed their cards during the year under review used the renewal platform".