Abesim (B/A), Feb. 17, GNA - The National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) has paid GH¢77,825,509.98 as claims for services rendered to clien= ts by the various health care providers as at August 2010 in the Brong-Ahafo Region. Mr Philip Baazeng, Deputy Director at the Brong-Ahafo Regional Coordinating Council announced on Wednesday.

He said the NHIA had achieved a total regional coverage of 2,059,649 representing 90.14 per cent out of the estimated regional population of about 2,284,839.

Mr Baazeng, who was speaking at Abesim near Sunyani on behalf of the Regional Minister during the 2010 Annual Performance Review Meeting of the Brong Ahafo Regional Hospital, stated that Government recognized that a healthy workforce was productive labour force in nation building. He said it was for that reason that the Government over the years continued to allocate huge resources to support the health sector to improv= e quality health delivery.

The three-day meeting being attended by the hospital management, its sectional heads and some selected staff, aimed at taking stock of 2010 performance and to roll out new strategies and interventions to address identified challenges as well as to chart a course for the current year and beyond.

The Deputy Director expressed worry that certain diseases such as hypertension and diabetes that hitherto were not too common to rural folks were now becoming prevalent, adding that HIV/AIDS was also on the increase in the region.

Mr Baazeng said HIV/AIDS menace in the region increased from 2.6 per cent in 2008 to 2.9 per cent in 2009, according to the HIV/AIDS Sentinel Survey Report 2009.

He observed that the persistence of diseases particularly those that exacerbate poverty continued to be a challenge, noting that might be due to the continuing poor environmental sanitation at the community level. The Deputy Director noted that there was also the increased burden of non-communicable diseases because of increasing risk factors emanating from unhealthy lifestyles.

Mr Baazeng, therefore, urged the hospital to educate the public on those needless and preventable diseases, self-discipline as well as the nee= d to live health lifestyles. Dr Jacob Abebrese, Medical Director of the Hospital, said the year was very successful despite the challenges that confronted the institution during the course of their performance. He said the hospital had adequate human resource and therefore needed to harness that to deliver even better services to the general public. Barima Minta Afari II, Chiraahene and Benkumhene of Dormaa Traditional Area, who presided, lauded outstanding performance of the hospital during the year under review. Barimah Afari, also the chair of the Hospital Board of Governors advised the management and the entire staff to maintain the spirit of hard work and the high standard of service delivery to ensure quality health for the people in the region.