Adansi South DHIS pays 1.8 billion cedis claims in eight months

New Edubiase (Ash), April 30, GNA - The Adansi South District Health Insurance Scheme (DHIS) in the Ashanti region has since August last year, paid over 1.8 billion cedis as total claims. The claims covers the attendance to health facilities by the scheme's contributors.

Since the beginning of this year, the scheme had recorded an average of 2,000 people attending health facility monthly. Mr Richmond Sarkodie, Scheme Manager, who disclosed these to newsmen at New Edubiase, added that as a result of such attendance, an average of 140 million cedis is paid monthly as claims to the health facilities.

The health facilities include the New Edubiase Government Hospital, Obuasi Government Hospital, Ataase-Nkwanta Health Centre, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi and Saint Jude and Bryant Mission Hospitals at Obuasi.

Mr Sarkodie stated that so far 46,684 people had registered with the scheme but only 18,649 fully paid up members had been issued with identity cards as at March this year. Mr Sarkodie said with an average of 700 people registering monthly since January this year, the scheme management with support from 11 national service personnel were printing an average of 1,000 cards monthly.

He said at the moment, the people had understood the scheme, but money had become the major hindrance to its growth, but was hopeful that more would patronise it during the major cocoa season. "All the same, the people are doing well in terms of registration and the payment of premiums", Mr Sarkodie said. Mr Sarkodie said most of the people were now expressing their appreciation to the government for the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) since it was serving as poverty reduction package for them.

He announced that a golden jubilee bonanza would be organized in the district during the major cocoa season, where members who pay their premium fully would receive their cards within two weeks. He added that it formed part of strategies to whip up public enthusiasm towards the scheme in the district.