Politicisation of NHIS is shameful and unfortunate - DCE

Agormanya (ER), Jan. 27, GNA - Mr David Asare, Manya Krobo District Chief Executive, has described as "unfortunate" and "shameful", the tendency by some health workers to meddle in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) with politics.

He noted that such health workers often frustrated registered clients of the Scheme when they visit health institutions for services and asked them to cease the practice forthwith.

Addressing workers of Saint Martin De Porres Hospital at Agormanya on Thursday, Mr Asare appealed to health workers to heed the clarion call for a non-partisan implementation of the Scheme because its success depended on them.

He also inaugurated a mortuary and pharmacy for the hospital that is famed for its palliative and philanthropist care, especially for HIV/AIDS patients and orphans and its attraction for international partners including the Family Health International (FHI). Mr Asare noted that the success of the Scheme to promote good health and longevity among the people depended on health workers therefore; they must adhere strictly to the ethics of their profession and avoid antagonizing the scheme.

He commended the management of the hospital with regard to the implementation of the Scheme that had led to most of the people registering for the Scheme.

The DCE said politics should not affect policies that would impact positively on the health status and longevity of the citizenry. Dr Charles Nyarko, Senior Medical Officer in charge of the hospital, called for public support to the hospital to enable it complete other projects to serve the increasing number of patients. The projects are a proposed two-storey medical centre and a hostel. Dr Nyarko regretted that the public had not supported the hospital despite the invaluable services it had rendered to humanity since 1946. It begun as a maternity home and since 1997 had attained the status of a hospital.

Monsignor Joseph Afrifa-Agyekum, Administrator of the Koforidua Diocese of the Catholic Church, expressed appreciation to the management of the hospital for the progress and its focus to serve the people and appealed for more assistance to expand its facilities. He later dedicated the mortuary and the pharmacy built from the hospital's internally generated resources and the Ministry of Health providing refrigerators for the morgue. 27 Jan.06