The Minister for Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, has disclosed that not all frontline workers are eligible for the Covid health insurance.
Despite the government’s promise to insure all frontline workers who come in contact with the virus in their line of duty, Mr Agyemang-Manu said some workers do not qualify.
According to him, some frontliners, who had a brush with COVID, were infected outside their field of work, and as such, they no longer become the government’s responsibility.
He said a frontline worker, who becomes affected outside work premises, would not be given any insurance and that it is the decision of the insurance companies.
He stressed on the fact that some Ghanaians pretend to be sick in order to benefit from the insurance, however, failure to provide documentation would also exempt them.
“The insurance companies have paid monies to some Ghanaians I don’t have the data here but that I know for sure that they have. Sometimes Ghanaians turn to pretend in order to benefit insurances.
“Some are complaining of not getting theirs but before one can be given, it is the insurance companies who investigate whether the person truly had the virus or not. And the venue he or she had it. That one I am not in charge of it and if they realise you were not affected during the line of duty, they won’t pay you,” he explained.
The Health Minister also noted that others also haven’t processed their data that makes them eligible for the Covid insurance.
However, he can “prove for a fact that the insurance companies have paid some workers who qualify for the insurance.”
The Health Minister on Dwaso Nsem also gave reasons why some hospitals have been abandoned and left to rot in bushes.
He indicated some eight hospitals were yet to be completed but for funding.
Mr Agyemang-Manu added that a loan was sought with the LC agreement so as to be able to get more funds whenever the deal is renewed, but he said the then former Finance Minister, Seth Tekper, failed to renew the deal.