Citizens living abroad should pay NHIS premiums of relatives

Apam, May 3, GNA - Non-resident citizens of Gomoa, especially those working outside the country, have been urged to pay the premiums of the District Mutual Health Insurance for their parents and close relatives to enable them to access quality health care services.

Mr Isaac Quansah, Accountant of the Gomoaman Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, who made the call in an interview with the GNA at Apam, said if they did that they would enjoy peace as they would have nothing to think about the health needs of their people at home. "The Health Insurance Scheme is a poverty reduction strategy so if you are able to register your people and pay their premiums, you are helping to reduce poverty at home", Mr Quansah stated.

The Accountant said 100,000 persons out of the District's total population of 210,000 had registered with the Scheme but just about 5,000 of them had paid their premiums fully, amounting to 330 million cedis.

He said 4,200 cards had been issued and assured that delay in issuing of cards would be a thing of the past now that they had acquired a generator to be used during power outages. Mr Quansah commended the National Health Insurance Council for providing them with a TOYOTA pick-up, three computers with accessories to facilitate their work and gave the assurance that the secretariat would use the vehicle to get to every hamlet to register the people. 04 May 07