On toxic work environments; I have had my own fair share. I have worked in a government establishment where staff convineintly forget to write out receipts. So making money off NHIS is close to home. For this week, our NSSP in residence talks about insurbodination and the bond that religion creates among strangers. Let’s enjoy.
Since the last time we spoke, two major things have happened. First, we finally heard from NSS. We have been paid for the month of January. You’d think with how long they took they’d pay February also. Sigh! Wishful thinking. Anyway I’ve finished spending the money already. Honey, truthfully speaking, I don’t know what I used it for.
Then, my institution of work is undertaking a reshuffling exercise of its Service Personnels; and I’m to move to the Lab. I know I said Lab isn’t a passion of mine but they think I should at least get a little background knowledge in Medical Laboratory. So wish me luck people. Before I begin that chapter of Service Life, I’d want to properly close this chapter. So I am going to tell you the story about the worker who was laid off due to insubordination and for the purpose of anonymity, we’ll call him Mr X.
Our story centers on National Health Insurance Renewal. At my workplace, when a patient comes to see the doctor and it’s either their first time or they have been to the facility before, we prepare a folder for the first timer or retrieve the returning patient’s folder. The next thing we do is ask for NHIS card. Patients who do not have would have to pay for consultation. If a patient has insurance, we at records go further to check the validity and fill a claim form(this is what the facility tenders to Ghana Health Service to be paid for the services provided). Not all patients have their cards valid at the time of visiting the facility. If your card is invalid and the previous validity ended less than 3 months at the time of your visit to the facility,we advise you to renew so that you can use it and avoid paying for all the services that would be provided.
To renew, the client can do it using their mobile device through MTN mobile money. Or, they can ask anyone at records who has money in their wallet to do it for them and then pay them with cash. This practice would have continued if not for the treachery of some people at Records. Some take the cash without renewing the insurance and fill claims with fake claim codes which get rejected when the facility tenders them in for payment. The Management of my workplace decided that we shouldn’t renew insurance for any patient anymore,they should do it themselves or go to the NHIS office. We all had our reservations about that directive but we chose to obey. Same cannot be said for Mr X.
In December we had a staff durbar and everyone went. I had to stay and attend to patients as and when they came. One returning patient visited the facility and her insurance was inactive. I realized however that it would work if renewed and I told her to do it using her phone or visit the nearest Mobile Money Vendor. Just as I was passing on this information, Mr X walked in and said he will do it. When he was renewing it our boss walked in and confronted him. He queried whether Mr X had not been informed about the facility in-charge’s ban on insurance renewal. Mr X’s response was a gag He responded by informing our boss that what he does is between he and his patient. According to him, the facility had no say in that.
The administrator was informed about this. The following morning, I was on shift with him and he continued to renew for people. In fact, he was charging higher fees for the service. It costs 28 cedis and 6 cedis to renew for an adult and a child respectively. He however charged 30, 32, and 35 cedis for an adult and 15 for a child.
The following Wednesday, we had a Carols Service at work.
Mr X was with the two interns at Records while the rest of us were at the Service. I went to pick up something at Records when Intern 1 told me he will fight Mr X for the exorbitant charges he was taking for renewing insurance. I decided not to go back to the service and take care of my patients. The next one had his insurance inactive and was too weak so I asked Intern 1 to help him pay for consultation. When he took the money to assist the client, Mr X who was sitting outside at the nurses side of the OPD called him back and said he’d renew the insurance for the client. Intern 1 came back and said he will ask the client how much Mr X took. And if it was more than 28cedis he would confront him because the client happens to share Religion with Intern 1.
When Intern 1 asked, the client said he was charged 38 cedis. Intern 1 confronts Mr X, an argument ensues, and our boss walks in on the showdown. The administrator is informed and Mr X and Intern 1 are invited for questioning. Luckily, the patients whose insurance he renewed hadn’t left and he confirmed Intern 1’s story. Mr X was then fired on the spot.
This week is going to be my final week at Records. Hopefully, I am closing that chapter with this submission but maybe, just maybe, there would be one more episode from Records. Last Thursday, something juicy started brewing… so stay tuned
Hewal3 Klan 