Kwaebibirem MHIS adopts measures to register more people

Kade, Nov. 28, GNA- The Kwaebibirem Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) is to introduce a "susu system" to enable more people to pay their premium on installment basics.

This would make it possible for the scheme to cover 90 percent of the population in the district by the end of 2009. Dr Bernard Narh Nuertey, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Kwaebibirem MHIS, said this at the first Annual General Assembly Meeting of the scheme at Kade on Wednesday.

He said currently the scheme had a total membership of 114,839 people, representing 58.3 percent coverage. He said the scheme intends to rely on the services National Service Personnel to beef up the staff strength, and would also establish more zonal offices and pay points in the various communities to enable residents to register with ease.

"To ensure that the message of insurance gets down to the people, we intend organising a workshop on the HNIS for key stakeholders such as chiefs, assembly members and religious leaders on the importance of health insurance".

On finance, Dr Nuertey said an amount of GH=A21O1,000.00 was realized as premium and processing fee for new and renewed members during 2005 and 2006, adding that, the government through the National Health Insurance Council (NHIC) also released GH=A2 960,000.00 as claims subsidy and GH 60,000.00 towards the scheme's administration. He mentioned the lack of permanent office accommodation and absence of condition of service for the staff as some of the challenges facing the scheme.

Major (Rtd) Courage Quasigah, Minister of Health in a speech read on his behalf expressed worry about the low life expectancy rate of 57 years for Ghanaians and advised that people adopt the concept of regenerative health to prevent them from dying at an early age. He urged that people reduce their meat intake, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, drink at least eight cups of water daily, exercise the body not less than three times in a week and should have adequate rest by sleeping eight hours daily.

Dr Patrick Amo-Mensah, Kwaebibirem District Director of Health Services said the health insurance had contributed in reducing maternal and infant mortalities since more pregnant women and children now seek health care services.

"Maternal mortalities reduced from 27 in 2005 to 14 in 2006 and infant mortalities reduced from 91 in 2005 to 74 in 2006". Mr Ras Boateng, Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Council, in a speech read for him said all over the country, card bearing members were singing praises of the scheme.

He said to solve the problem of indebtedness of some scheme to service providers; the Council had paid a total of 324 billion cedis to all schemes for the settlement of such bills.