Managers of NHIS asked not to take unilateral decisions

Jirapa (UWR), Sept.8, GNA - Mr Ambrose Dery, Upper West Regional Minister, has advised Managers of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in the region not to take decisions that would affect the smooth operations and sustainability of the scheme.

He said information available indicated that officials of some of the schemes had started withdrawing monies from the schemes as allowances, without consulting the District assemblies and warned them to stop those acts that had the tendency to collapse the schemes. "Scheme Managers are not Robin Hoods or 'one man thousands' who can take unilateral decisions on the operations of the scheme without recourse to the consequences their actions can create for the larger public", he warned.

Mr Dery gave the advice when inaugurating an 11-member Managing Board of the Jirapa-Lambussie District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme at Jirapa. It will oversee the implementation and operations of the scheme in the district.

Mr Dery asked the District Assemblies to use more of their resources to support the schemes to ensure their sustainability. "There is no better poverty alleviation than spending part of your Assemblies' money to support the schemes, which are designed to save the poor from the "cash and carry" system and provide better access to health care delivery services for them," he added. Alhaji Salifu Osman, District Coordinating Director, asked managers of the scheme to demonstrate a high sense of responsibility and absolute sacrifice in order to help the people. He said the Assembly would construct permanent offices for the scheme this year.

Mr Julius Gandiibu, Acting District Scheme Manager, said 1,031 people in the non-formal sector had so far registered with the scheme and paid total premiums of 74 million cedis while 860 workers in the formal sector in the district had also registered. 08 Sept.05