Bawumia Unveils MyNHIS App

In a state of high anticipation, the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has strategically introduced an online registration platform dubbed, “My NHIS.”

It is a convenient mobile App solution inaugurated to enable residents in Ghana and beyond to use their Ghana cards and sign up to the NHIS at their own convenience.

Similar to the NHIS Mobile Renewal platform, people can comfortably sit anywhere and use any mobile phone to sign up to the NHIS.

Vice President, Alhaji, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia officially unveiled the homegrown digital platform at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Tamale Dungu campus, December 5, 2022.

It was in commemoration of the NHIS Active month celebration under the theme, "The role of Digitalization in Modern Healthcare Delivery: Recounting Ghana's ICT journey in the 4th Republic."

Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in his opening remarks recalled the NHIS journey and stated, "The NHIS since its introduction, has no doubt, contributed to increased utilization of healthcare services, leading to improved health outcomes of the population. There have been significant reductions in maternal and child mortalities over the last two decades."

"Persons who hitherto could not access healthcare due to financial constraints are now able to do so without paying at the point of service use."

The Vice President explained government's digitalization agenda saying, "We are pursuing digitalization not for its own sake, but as a means of delivering improved services to our people. We are putting in place systems and utilizing the data to make this possible."

"The role of digital health solutions in our healthcare sector cannot be overemphasized. Over the last few years, we have embarked on digitalization drive in the health sector as a response to the World Health Organization's (WHO) call for member countries to implement digital health interventions in their health systems to improve access to healthcare and well-being for their populations."

He posited that the NHIS persisted as the economic mainstay of most public and private healthcare service providers in Ghana.

"The NHIS has contributed to financial resources of healthcare providers, resulting in expansion of healthcare facilities especially in the private sector."

Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia emphasized the need for the Scheme's existing and would be members to link the NHIS and Ghana cards to use one card to access healthcare services.

"When all members of the Scheme are linked to their Ghana Cards, the NHIS card will be phased out and the Ghana Card will be the sole card for accessing healthcare services in the credentialled healthcare facilities."

"We are very keen on making sure we can improve access to quality healthcare delivery. Digitalization of our hospitals and medical records at the public health facilities is on course."

"This has improved efficiency, effectiveness and increasing access to healthcare to those who need the services."

NHIA Board Chair

The NHIA Board Chairman, Dr. Ernest K. P Kwarko attributed the NHIA's recent innovations to government's immense support.

According to him, Vice President, Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has been very instrumental in the implementation of the Mobile Renewal Service, Electronic Claims management, biometric application and NHIS and Ghana cards linkages.

NHIA Chief Executive

Alaafee Bonzali Naa I, Dr. Bernard Okoe Boye in his welcome address paid tribute to former President, John Agyekum Kufour for introducing the NHIS in 2003.

"19 years ago, under the visionary leadership of H.E John Agyekum Kufuor, Ghana set out on a mission to provide financial risk protection for its citizens and to reduce the dangers of resting access to healthcare on the shoulders of the cash and carry system."

"This resulted in the birthing of the National Health Insurance Scheme which has since remained a cardinal instrument in the provision of comprehensive healthcare services to all residents of our dear nation Ghana."

"The extent of this healthcare service provision, however, is entrenched in our ability to increase membership to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030 as designed by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To this effect, digitization has played a major role in positively impacting on the operationalization of the Scheme and the numbers enrolled on to the National Health Insurance Scheme database.

He added that,"The digitization journey at the National Health Insurance Authority has been a steady phenomenal process especially these past few years where it feeds into a bigger government agenda heavily superintended by the Digitization Messiah himself, H.E Alhaji Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia."

"This digital drive infused high levels of vibrancy in our operations and has since 2018 been the preferred choice of renewal of NHIS membership and linkage to the Ghana card."

Dr. Okoe Boye explained the importance of the newly launched MyNHIS App.

"We have moved the Scheme to another level. The new NHIS Mobile APP known as ‘MyNHIS’ - a one stop platform. The future remains digitization."

Dr. Okoe Boye reiterated that the NHIS remained Ghana’s leading vehicle to attain Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by the year 2030.

MyNHIS App Benefits

MyNHIS mobile App will enable corporate clients and other citizens to use their Ghana Cards to register onto the NHIS without necessarily visiting any of the NHIA district offices for the same service.

The new App will also enable NHIS members to securely pay registration and membership renewal fees from their mobile money wallets, Bank and Visa cards.

The latest NHIA novelty will operate on both Android and iOS smartphones.

The NHIS Mobile Application App will issue digitized NHIS cards and provide a mechanism for the NHIA to fulfil its statutory obligations.

Most importantly, the innovation will deliver a vastly improved renewal experience to NHIS members as it saves time and money, thereby making the Scheme much more accessible to all residents in Ghana and beyond.

It is of utmost importance that Ghanaians home and abroad will take advantage of the newly introduced MyNHIS App to save time, expenses, increase higher levels of convenience, eliminate data entry errors, and improve efficiency.

NHIA Digitalization Enthusiasm

The NHIA is leveraging on the national digitalization drive to shift from paper to paperless regime.

The Authority is continually building robust home grown innovations geared towards saving income and improving efficiency.

Source: ABDUL KARIM NAATOGMAH