Ghanaians urged to accept Health Insurance Scheme

Senya-Beraku (C/R), Oct 7, GNA - Ghanaians have been urged to ensure the success of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) because it is one of the most valuable legacies that they could be left for posterity.

They should therefore accept it wholeheartedly by registering and paying their premiums to the various District, Municipal and Metropolitan Mutual Health Insurance Schemes. Mr Joseph Yaw Owusu-Kwarteng, Public Relations officer of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, made the call when he sensitised members of the Senya-Beraku Town Council on Wednesday.

Institutional Heads, Chief Fishermen, Nurses, Opinion Leaders and other stakeholders took part in the forum, which also dealt with the downward trend of education, poor environmental sanitation and teenage pregnancy in the area.

Mr Owusu-Kwarteng reminded them that the eradication of the "Cash and Carry" healthcare system was the collective responsibility of Ghanaians and not the government and the management of the NHIS alone. He asked chiefs, teachers, assembly members, religious organisations and other organised groups in the District to enlighten the people on the need to uphold and derive the benefits that the scheme sought to provide them.

Mr Owusu-Kwarteng reminded the people, especially the middle-income and the poor that the essence of the Scheme was to provide reliable healthcare guarantee for them and their families.

Mr Owusu-Kwarteng said the photo-taking exercise for the NHIS was still in progress and assured those who had registered and fully paid up their premiums in the District that they would soon have their pictures taken by officials assigned with the responsibility.

He advised registered members at Senya-Beraku, Awutu-Beraku, Bawjiase, Awutu-Bontrase, Obrachire, Kasoa and surrounding villages to exercise restraint while preparations were being done to serve them. The Public Relations Officer also enlightened them on some of the diseases that the Scheme would cover when it took off in the District and asked the people to feel free to approach officials of the Scheme for explanation when the need arose.

Mr Daniel Usher, an official of the Scheme, had earlier taken the gathering through various aspects of the scheme and stressed the need for every Ghanaian to become a member.

Mr Usher advised married couples who had not registered because of poverty or otherwise, not to use their aged parents above 70 years old as front persons to register their children under 18 years old. He said it was wrong for qualified people to do that, adding that, they must endeavour to find money to register for their children to enjoy the Scheme also. Mr N K O Anderson, Chairman of the Senya-Beraku Town Council, announced that the District Assembly would soon come out with byelaws to stem all forms of indiscipline among the youth as well as irresponsible parenthood in the District.