Koforidua, Dec. 18, GNA - The New Juaben Municipal Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (NJMHIS), has made great strides by registering 102,348, which is about 75 per cent of its target population of 136,469 in the Koforidua Township. By that feat, the NJMHIS has thus become the second best to Tamale Metropolitan Mutual Health Scheme nationwide in terms of registration of clients. The scheme has also collected an amount of GH¢ 741,017 as premium from its registered clients since inception in 2004, while it has during the same time paid medical claims totalling GH¢ 5,263,093 as of May this year.

The chairman of the scheme, Nana Kwame Oppong Owusu III, who disclosed this at the 2008 annual general meeting of the scheme, said the scheme was poised to deliver an enhanced service to its patrons as a way of improving the health status of the people to promote productivity. He said the sterling performances notwithstanding, the scheme had engaged 35 accredited health facilities in the municipality to provide expedited services to people in a cost-efficient manner. In particular, he said the introduction of a new identity card by the National Health Insurance Authority would help track attendance of patrons so as to check abuse and frivolous use of the facility to ensure the sustainability of the scheme. All those efforts, he said, were geared towards improving the efficiency and performance of the scheme by means of intensification of community renewal of clients' membership and refreshers training for its management members to enable them do their work better. Nana Owusu called on the government to consider establishing a district hospital or polyclinic in the Koforidua Township as a way of lessening the hassle patrons go through in using the Koforidua Regional Hospital as a first point of call.

In an address read on his behalf, Mr Kwadwo Affram Asiedu, Eastern Regional Minister, said the implementation of the health insurance scheme remained one of the bulwarks the New Patriotic Party (NPP), government was using to reduce poverty and remained the "best and most secure and affordable social welfare packages" it was championing. He said although there had been some challenges, such as the skills needed in managing a viable health financing transactions, government was counting on health professionals to help in making the scheme benefit the people. 18 Dec. 08