Aggrieved teachers demand refund of health insurance deductions

Nkawie (Ash), Dec. 22, GNA - A large number of teachers and other educational workers on Tuesday besieged the Atwima district Education Office to protest against the continuous one percentage deduction from their monthly salary towards the Atwima Mutual Health Insurance Scheme.

The teachers later marched to the district office of the Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT), demanding the immediate refund of their accumulated deductions from December 2003 to December 2004. They contended that since workers were covered under the 2.5 per cent deductions from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) for the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), they saw no wisdom in deducting another one percent monthly from their salaries towards the same scheme in the district.

Although the one per cent deductions had been carried out every month from their salaries since December 2003, no teacher has benefited from the scheme.

Meanwhile, Mr F.C.K. Ntim-Gyakari, the Atwima District GNAT Chairman, asked the teachers to exercise restraint while the issue was thrashed out with the authorities concerned. Mr Agyarko-Poku, the scheme manager, however, could not be contacted since he had travelled out of town.