Alliance between Ministry of Gender and NHIA brings relief to the poor

Two leading government establishments are seen to be working so hard to bring relief onto many poor, aged and the handicapped in Ghana in the area of health. The two bodies are the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection and the National Health Insurance Authority who together have registered thousands of people on the Health Insurance Scheme throughout the country free of charge. Most of the beneficiaries of the services of the organizations receive benefits from the National Health Insurance Scheme without fanfare, so not many people are aware of it. However in our visits to hospitals and clinics we (eanfoworld) have realized that most of the beneficiaries are happy with the services they receive from the hospitals and clinics they attend especially because they largely pay nothing or very little for medical care, that include consultations, laboratory tests and supply of drugs. Apart from going to register people in the residence of the National Chief Imam at Fadama in Accra and some other towns in the Greater Accra Region and other towns around the country, staff of the NHIS with the support of the Ministry of Gender Children and Social Protection went to Ada in the Greater Accra Region recently where they registered more than 500 people mostly aged and handicapped on the NHIS . Apart from registering them free of charge, each of the beneficiaries was given a food package containing rice, sugar and tomato paste. Being organized in the month of Ramadan season the beneficiaries most of whom were Muslims were required to make use of the food to break their fast or during the Eid Festivities. The Minister of Gender Children and Social Protection Nana Oye Lithur praised the NHIA for assisting the ministry to reach out to the poor and vulnerable to acquire the NHIS cards saying it will offer a large relief to them as they seek medical care. The NHIS registration scheme is an ongoing program which will be extended to all cities towns, villages and hamlets in Ghana.

The representative of the NHIA commended the beneficiaries for comporting themselves very well during the exercise of registration and said they have been encouraged to do more for them and other communities. He said the scheme is a pro poor program designed to meet the needs of all Ghanaians especially the poor and called on all to join the scheme

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