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THE DIRECTOR of Operation and Communication at the National Health Insurance Providers Association, Anthony Abeka has revealed that, the association will soon shut down services of the National Health Insurance Scheme to resort to the cash-and-carry system due to government�s failure to pay all outstanding debts and services rendered to beneficiaries. According to him, after their first strike to stop administering healthcare to national health insurance card bearers, the government intervened and they came to a compromise to resolve all the arrears owed, �but as we speak now all the steps agreed on have been breached.� Speaking on ADOM FM�s Morning Show yesterday, Mr. Abeka said immediately after the association�s resolution to go back to the old cash and carry system due to huge debts crippling the service providers, the regulatory body released part of the money which they described as �tot to tot system.� �Hospitals and clinics in certain parts of the country are really suffering because the authority owes these health facilities huge amounts of money which has resulted in the collapse of most of these important facilities in the remote areas,� he said. He said after three weeks tour in some places in the Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, Bolgatanga and other parts of the country, it has come to light that some hospitals have not received their claims from February and December last year, with others also not having been paid since August. �In Tamale, some of the hospitals visited could not even get money to buy oxygen, solar and other personal protective equipment resulting in the mass death of new born babies,� he opined. Mr. Abeka was speaking in relation to the recent Auditor-General�s report covering 2008 and 2009 operations of the authority which revealed the diversion of GH� 131,409.26 paid to the facility by the NHIA without trace. He also said the review of the NHIS law from Act 650 of 2003 to Act 852 in 2012 was intended to address the administrative and operational lapses deriving from the then enabling Act. The reports further revealed that an amount of GH�70,295.00 disappeared at Gambaga Health Insurance, another GH�5,260.00 was transferred from the scheme�s account but the bankers draft could not be traced while an extra amount of GH�9,000 was also withdrawn from Ogwaman Health Insurance without trace. �I am really surprised that all these huge monies have ended up in individual�s pockets or being diverted without any trace. I think there should be an investigation into the disappearance of the money for people to account for it,� he angrily stated. He stated that due to huge debts owed by these hospitals, the pharmaceutical companies have also stopped selling drugs on credit; it is now strictly cash and carry. �It is not anybody�s interest to witness the collapse of the institution but if there are issues we must address them or the ministry should come out if there are issues for providers to understand.� When quizzed as to the exact day for the withdrawal of services, Mr. Abeka stated that, the providers are currently taking administrative steps and when �we are ready we will communicate it to the media.�