This was made known by Dr Samuel Annor, the Chief Executive Officer of NHIA, at the opening of a three-day training in Accra for lawyers of the Authority by the AG’s Department. He said the fiat by the AG became necessary as cases involving false claims by some service providers and clients had been pending in court for many years, which brought additional cost to the NHIA.

He expressed the hope that the trained lawyers would help expedite cases of fraud to ensure value for money.  Dr Annor said the Authority would also be seeking stiffer punishment for those who intended to defraud the Scheme, by amending its laws.

He said the NHIA is putting measures in place for the protection of the public purse, which include strengthening of the Internal Audit and Quality Assurance departments. Dr Annor said it was imperative for the NHIA to ensure value for money by putting the right measures in place, especially when it was expecting an increase in funding.

Mrs Evelyn Keelson, the Chief State Attorney, said the training would enable the lawyers to handle the cases better.