Chiefs should ensure success of Health Insurance Scheme

Awutu-Beraku, Sept 8, GNA - The Public Relations Manager of the Awutu-Effutu-Senya District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, Mr J.Y.Owusu-Kwarteng, has appealed to chiefs in the district to use the powers vested in them to help ensure the success of the Mutual Health Insurance scheme in the area.

Mr. Owusu-Kwarteng also advised registration officers and MHIS assembly members operating in the 57 communities within the district to co-operate and give due respect to chiefs in those communities in order to win their confidence and support to push the scheme forward. He was addressing members of the Awutu Traditional Council at a meeting at Awutu-Beraku at which he formally introduced the scheme to the chiefs and the immense benefits they and their people stand to derive from the scheme when they embraced it.

He also urged paramount, divisional, and sub chiefs in the three traditional set-ups in the district-- Awutu, Effutu, and Senya --, the MHIS Board of Directors, Management body and assembly members to cooperate and work hand-in-hand with them to make the scheme work satisfactorily in the district when it finally takes off.

Mr. Owusu-Kwarteng asked the chiefs not to hesitate to approach the district headquarters of the MHIS at Winneba for the explanation of issues bothering their minds about the scheme. He said officers of the scheme are servants of the State and not masters, adding that they were poised to serve the people and not to lord it over them.

Concerning the premium Mr. Owusu-Karteng said besides the stipulated 72,000 cedis and five thousand registration fee, people in the information sector wishing to pay more were at liberty to do so. He asked the chiefs to spread the message when they go back to their respective towns and villages to facilitate the registration and the payment of premiums to ensure early take-off of the scheme in the district.

The Public Relations Manager announced that management of the scheme had already initiated programme under which the public relations team of the scheme would tour the district as part of the membership drive campaign.