The App, which aims to increase membership drive across the county, is also to help members to access frequently asked questions, locate all NHIS offices and link NHIS cards to the Ghana Cards.
Mr Kasimu Abudulai, Upper East Regional Director of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), said when Ghanaians were sensitized to appreciate use of the App more resources would be saved while also creating convenience for users.
“The SMS system, *929#, is still operational but it is not interactive. You could only renew your card and link your NHIS card with Ghana Card but with this App, first timers are able to enroll themselves, friends and family without coming to the office as well as renew, so it makes NHIS easier than ever before,” he told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Bolgatanga.
The Regional Director explained that the cost of production of cards, purchase of consumables as well as pressure on some of the machines used would be reduced when many people appreciate and embrace use of MyNHIS App.
“Every month, we always run shot of consumables, especially the ribbons and the computers and printers, are overused and become obsolete and therefore when more people use the online portal, they would not come to our offices except the few who cannot use the portal,” he said.
When one registers using the App, a digital identification feature, would be generated and be used to access healthcare services in the health facilities but one must have a Ghana Card to enable them register which automatically links to the NHIS and can be used to access healthcare, he added.
He said, the Authority was committed in 2013 to intensify education, especially in the urban areas, to ensure that people who had Android phones embraced the App and use it more.
Mr Abudulai noted, among other challenges, that the Bawku chieftaincy conflict interrupted operations of the Authority in the Eastern Corridor of the region as some of the offices were closed in 2022.
Out of the target of 74 per cent for 2022, the region was able to cover 935,077 people representing 70.45 percent at end of December 2022.
“We have three districts which influence our operations namely Bolgatanga, Kassena-Nankana Municipal and Bawku Municipal so once any of these three is affected, performance of the whole region suffers, so because of what is happening in Bawku Municipality, Pusiga, Bawku West, Garu and Binduri were affected.”
The Regional Director explained that the authority would continue to collaborate with its partners, including the Department of Social Welfare, Ghana Education Service and the United States Agency for International Development, to enroll more vulnerable people into the scheme.