Health Insurance paid 228.2 million cedis on its members in nine months

Enyan Denkyira (C/R), Sept. 1 GNA-The Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Mutual Health Insurance has paid a total of 228.2 million cedis as hospital bills for 4,837 members who attended the hospitals between October 2005 and June 2006. Mr. Fred Appiah, Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme Manager disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency in an interview at Enyan Denkyira on Wednesday.

Mr. Appiah said about 91 per cent of the patients (members) were treated at the Breman Asikuma, Assin Foso, Saltpond, Apam and Winneba hospitals because there are no qualified doctors to man hospitals in the district that has a population of over 91,000. He said the absence of doctors to man the district hospital at Ajumako and others has made health delivery very expensive and cumbersome. Mr. Appiah said the people in the area have now understood and accepted the Health Insurance concept but high poverty rate has made it very difficult for them to register.

He therefore appealed to "well-to-do" people from the area to come to the aid of such unfortunate people to register with the scheme to enable them to receive free medical care. Mr. Appiah mentioned lack of transportation as some of the problems facing his outfit.