Western Region registers 1,491,652 under NHIS

Takoradi, March 03, GNA 97 The Western Regional National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Manager, Mr Francis Asante Mensah, has said the region has registered 1,492,652 people under the National Health Insurance Scheme since its inception in 2004.

He said last year, 210,173 people were registered at the 15 mutual health insurance schemes in the region.

In an interview with the GNA in Takoradi Mr Mensah gave the figures in the various NHIS in the region as follows: Ahantaman 57,836, Amenfiman 125,427, Aowin Suaman 116,331, Bia 90,643, Bibiani 76,918 and Jomoro as 66570.

The rest were Juabeso 119567, Mpohor Wassa 70,029, Nzema East 99,053, Sefwi-Wiawso 115,364, Sekondi 155,923, Takoradi 112,201, Wassa Amenfi East 76,899 and Wassa West 160,906.

He said he was unhappy with the frequent electric power disruptions especially in the northern parts of the region at Wassa Akropong, Asankragwa, Bia and Juabeso. Mr Mensah said the disruptions interrupted administrative work and information flow.

The Regional Manager also cited the deplorable road networks in some districts which made the monitoring of the scheme difficult. He said 93sometimes it takes five days to inspect some districts". He appealed to the assemblies to go into partnerships with the various mutual health insurance schemes and build joint administrative offices in order to reduce cost of operations. Mr Mensah said the regional office of the NHIA partnered with the various district offices to organize public education programmes on local radio stations, community festivals, in mosques and churches to whip up the interest of people to register with the scheme. He advised NHIS subscribers to desist from moving from one health facility to the other and rather stick to health centres that have their records.