Okwawuman West Mutual Health Insurance Scheme registered over 76,000

members

Nkwakaw, Sept. 15, GNA - The Okwawuman West Municipal Health Insurance Scheme registered 76,802 people representing 76 per cent of the population of the municipality. It is hoped that the scheme would be able to increase the registered members to cover 80 per cent of the population of the municipality by the end of the year. Nana Professor Agyarkwa Frempong, III, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Scheme, disclosed this when he addressed the second annual general meeting of the scheme at Nkawkaw at the weekend. The Board Chairman commended the staff, revenue collectors', individuals and other philanthropic groups for their contribution towards the scheme, which had enable the scheme to provide affordable health care for the residence of the municipality. The Eastern Regional Manager of the NHIA, Mr Collins Akuamoah Danso said over 11 million Ghanaians have subscribed to the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) out of which 1,250,967 people representing 58 per cent were registered in the Eastern Region, which attests to the fact that the people of the country have embraced the health insurance scheme.

He said since the commencement of the free maternal health care programme for all pregnant women in the country in July this year, the Eastern Region had registered 17,650 pregnant women who have been offered free medication and delivery at the various hospitals, clinics and health centres. Mr Danso said the NHIA was in the process of networking all the schemes and accredited health providers in the country for the providers to authenticate client mmbership at the facility level and also to enable all bills submitted by providers to be vetted electronically to ensure prompt payment. He said the NHIA had introduce a new national identification card on pilot basis to enable all policy holders to access health care everywhere in the country, and will soon be extended to all mutual health insurance schemes throughout the country. The Eastern Regional Minister, Mr Kwadwo Afram Asiedu in an address read on his behalf, commended the scheme for its achievement and urged the staff to work hard to register the remaining 25 percent of the population in the municipality for them to access affordable health care. In an address read on her behalf, the Municipal Director of Health Services, Mrs Julia Nimo said the introduction of the NHIS had resulted in high attendance in the health facilities, making it difficult for the limited number of staff to cope with. He appealed for the training of health professionals to augment the staff strength.