More communities embrace health insurance scheme

Sunyani (B/A) Jan. 2, GNA - Fourteen out of seventeen (rpt 17) administrative districts of Brong-Ahafo Regional Health Insurance Scheme have embraced the scheme as at the close of last year. Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Regional Minister, announced on Monday when he spoke on a special "open day" programme organised by Brong-Ahafo Regional office of Ghana Broadcasting Corporation aimed at entertaining the general public during the New Year Public Holiday at its premises in Sunyani The Regional Minister expressed the hope that the remaining three districts would be hooked to the general operations of the scheme early this year.

He explained that the government's capitation grant programme would be extremely beneficial to national development, as the education of even one person up to the University level was better than a 100 acres cocoa farm.

Nana Seinti urged parents and guardians to be serious with the education of their children and expressed satisfaction that statistics showed that since the introduction of the programme children a number of teenagers aged between 14 and 16 were voluntarily enrolling as pupils in schools in some parts of the region.

Nana Seinti noted that few reported bush-burning incidents were recorded in 2005 and commended the people and urged them to continue to exhibit "such patriotism" in protecting the environment, life and property.

He said an area that was of concern to the government this year was youth employment and appealed to the youth and other citizens to focus on their plans and help the government to achieve its goal in that direction.

The Regional Minister announced that Venture Capital, a business organization had opened a branch in Sunyani to encourage private entrepreneurship by providing financial resource and urged the private sector to seize the opportunity and establish their own businesses or expand existing ones.

Nana Seinti advised against the "pull-him-down" attitude and recommended to Ghanaians to take a cue from the readiness of Indians and Lebanese to help their compatriots to establish their own businesses in the country.

He urged Ghanaians to build such a united front to be able to collectively build the nation collectively.

In a welcoming address, Mr. Leonard Victor Amengor, Regional Director of the regional GBC thanked the Regional Minister for responding to the invitation and delivering his New Year Message. Mr. Amengor announced that the corporation was working hard to commence a commercial programme this year during which the television department would film products, wares and other items of interested business people to be shown on the screen locally.

The programme was the second to be organised by the regional GBC. Mr. Kwabena Asumin Gyamfi, Regional Officer in-charge of Television, said the programme was unique in the history of the national GTV as the Brong-Ahafo programme was the first in the country. Other dignitaries who gave goodwill New Year messages on the programme were Okatakyie Agyeman Kudom, President of Brong-Ahafo Regional House of Chiefs and Omanhene of Nkoranza, Nana Bosoma Asor Nkrawiri, Omanhene of Sunyani and Nana Kwame Korang, Omanhene of Awua- Domase.