The National Health Insurance Scheme has "almost collapsed", former President John Mahama has said.

Addressing church leaders in Tema, Mr Mahama said the Akufo-Addo government "is not paying money into the scheme". 

"And once the scheme doesn’t get money, they also cannot pay the facilities for the claims that they make", he explained. 

As a result, the hospitals, he added, "are forced to charge the patients ... or else, all they will do is give you a folder, you go and see the doctor." 

"That is the only service you get", he noted. "For everything else, you have to go outside and pay with cash to get", Mr Mahama pointed out.

To him, "it looks like we are coming back to the 'cash and carry' days". 

He promised that his next administration, should he win the 2024 presidential election, will revamp the NHIS.

"And, so, what we will do is we will strengthen the NHIS again so that it can give the services that it was designed to give.”