Campaign on Health Insurance Scheme intensifies

Mampong (Ash), Nov. 30, GNA - The Sekyere West District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme in the Ashanti Region has intensified efforts to rope more people into the scheme through various educational campaigns. Addressing one of such durbars at Mampong, the District capital at the weekend, a Development Consultant, Mr. Kwame Antwi made it clear that the nationwide district mutual health insurance schemes, when properly managed and supported by the people would make quality health care accessible to more people.

He said the only way to ensure that health care is more accessible, especially to the poor is for the people to support the scheme wholeheartedly and also ensure that they show interest in how their contributions are judiciously managed.

Mr. Antwi, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi based MS Multi-Scheme Development Consultants, was addressing a sensitisation forum for public servants in the district to solicit their support for the smooth take-off of the scheme.

Besides relieving people of the direct cost of paying for health care at the point of service delivery, the consultant said proceeds from the schemes would also ensure the good maintenance of health care facilities and improve on efficiency.

Mr Antwi called on public servants to embrace the scheme and also help in educating their communities and colleagues on the benefits of the scheme.

He had earlier taken the participants through the policy guidelines of the scheme, its sources of funding, its management structure and the implications of not ensuring that it works on health care delivery. The District Manager of the scheme, Mr Rockson Bronnie told the participants that enough measures have been put in place to ensure the smooth take-off of the scheme.

He said the scheme has been structured in a way that only qualified and accredited agents would be allowed to collect the premium. Besides, Mr Bronnie gave the assurance that all registered members would be issued identify cards and drug code numbers to minimize corruption and the abuse of the scheme by unscrupulous people. He appealed to them to show interest in the operations of the scheme by contributing in the educational campaigns to bring more people on board.