Kwaebibirem District to register 90 per cent of the district population

by 2009

Kade (E/R), March 14, GNA - The Kwaebibirem District Health Insurance Scheme has set a target of registering 90 per cent of the people in the district by 2009.

In 2004 when the scheme took off in the district, 2,867 people were registered. The figure rose to 41,712 in 2005. As at December 2006, the figure increased to 95,976, representing 53.5 per cent of the district's population of 179,209.

Mr. John Awuku-Ahevi, the Kwaebibirem District Scheme Manager, told the GNA in an interview that people in the district have accepted the scheme.

Mr. Awuku-Ahevi said his outfit is under-staffed but with collaboration and support from all stakeholders in the district including the district assembly, the District Health Management Team (DHMT), service providers, departments, the chiefs, religious leaders and the DANIDA Health Sector Support Office, the programme has been successful in the district.

He appealed for additional staff since the office has been depending on casual workers most of the time.

Mr. Awuku-Ahevi said to enable the staff operate much more effectively, there should be employment of additional permanent staff and also the need for periodic capacity building for the staff. He said the scheme is saddled with lack of vehicles and the office often depended on the district assembly and other departments for vehicles that are sometimes not readily available. Mr. Awuku-Ahevi spoke against abuses and said there was also the problem of untimely release of exempt subsidy from the National Health Insurance Secretariat (NHIC). 14 March 07