Ajumako (C/R), July 28, GNA- Mr Isaac Edumadze, the Central Regional Minister, on Tuesday, expressed concern that no district in the region has started implementing the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), although preparations towards its commencement started more than a year ago.

He said the scheme offered the best opportunity for people to improve upon their health and therefore, tasked the district assemblies to intensify education on the scheme to encourage more people to register with the NHIS.

The Regional Minister expressed these concerns at the launch of the District Health Insurance Scheme in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District. He said so far, a total premium of 650 million cedis have been collected in the region, and appealed to the people to embrace the "scheme wholeheartedly", to improve their health situation.

Mr Edumadze assured the people that the Central Regional Administration would contribute to the successful implementation of the scheme. A Deputy Minister of Health, Mr Samuel Owusu-Agyei, whose address was read for him to launch the scheme, expressed concern about the devastation effects of HIV/AIDS on the economy and that about 80 people were reported to be dying daily of the disease in the country. He appealed to all Ghanaians to refrain from sexual promiscuity and other vices to enable them to live longer and said the government was committed to providing good quality health services at affordable cost. Mr Owusu-Agyei observed that the scheme was a social re-engineering programme to empower people to determine and manage their own health. The District Chief Executive, Mr Kenneth Obempong expressed worry that out of the district's total population of 91,696, only 18,748 people have been registered for the scheme.

He said the assembly has set aside 40 million cedis from its share of the common fund to support the implementation of the scheme and sponsor nurse trainees to enhance health care delivery in the district Mr Obempong, however, appealed to the Regional Minister to ensure that a medical officer was posted to the district since the local health centre was in the process of being upgraded into a hospital.