President Kufuor confers with Organised Labour on NHIS

Accra, Sept.19, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Friday held a meeting with the Leadership of Organised Labour on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) at the Castle, Osu.

President Kufuor appealed to the Leadership to meet a team of Ministers on Monday, September 22 for further discussions on the issues and concerns raised by Labour on the Scheme.

A statement issued in Accra on Friday and jointly signed by Mr Kwadwo O. Mpiani, Chief of Staff and Mr Kofi Asamoah, Deputy Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress (Operations), said the Leadership accepted to meet the team.

It said the meeting was at the invitation of President Kufuor Parliament on Tuesday, August 26, passed the National Health Insurance Bill that sought to put in place a mechanism that would enable residents in the country to obtain, at least basic health care services without having to pay any money at the point of delivery of service.

An accompanying memorandum signed by the Minister of Health, Dr Kweku Afriyie, said the Bill would provide a policy and regulatory framework in the country for health insurance that would enable "us as a nation, to achieve the goal of equitable access to healthcare for all residents in relation to need rather than socio-economic or socio-cultural status."

A regulatory body would be established under the Bill to license health insurance schemes.

Organised labour had threatened to go on demonstration nation-wide next week against the Bill, which is awaiting Presidential assent. 19 Sept. 03