Sarakope (V/R), Jan. 11, GNA - The over 580 strong Sarakope community and its environs have come to grips with the necessity to register with the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), having been hit with suspected aggravated hernia that has assumed epidemic proportions. In their predicament elders and opinion leaders of the community in the Adaklu-Anyigbe District have sent a distress call to the Volta Regional Minister, Mr Kofi Dzamesi to come to their aid.
They have made similar appeals to non-governmental organizations. Mr Dzamesi, the Volta Regional Director of Health, Dr Andrew Arde-Acquah and the Municipal Health Director, Dr Timothy Letsa found out that less than 10 people in the community had registered with the NHIS.
Under the circumstances, Mr Dzamesi directed the health authorities to arrange surgery for those who have registered with the NHIS including children.
He also directed that emergency registration under the NHIS should be carried out in the community to facilitate medical solution to the problem.
Mr Dzamesi said though some NGOs might promise to help them deal with the problem, such help would only be temporary and that health insurance provided a more permanent and secure solution to their health problems. Briefing the meeting held on Wednesday, Dr Letsa said medical examination showed that the problem was due to hernia that had been untreated for a long time.
He said it would cost between two million and five million cedis to correct the abnormality depending on the extent of severity of each case.
