Minister tours Brong Ahafo Region

Sunyani, Nov 4, GNA - Mr Stephen Asamoah Boateng, a Deputy Minister of Information, on Monday appealed to the media to be circumspect in their reportage on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) when it takes off in January next year.

He said even though it is the wish of the government for a hitch-free operation of the scheme it would not be surprising if it encountered problems in the initial stages.

Mr Boateng said this when he addressed the media in Brong Ahafo to begin a week's tour of the region.

He is expected to visit 10 of the 13 districts of the region to meet and interact with staff of Information Services Department, FM radio stations and other media houses to know their problems and how best they could be solved.

Mr Asamoah Boateng will also interact and discuss topical national issues with the general public through radio programmes and durbars. He said even though Britain started a similar scheme more than 50 years ago, all is not well with it.

''Like all other human institutions there are bound to be shortfalls but that should not be misconstrued or misinterpreted to mean a failure, since in the long run the advantages would outweigh the disadvantages.''

Mr Asamoah Boateng said the government is putting the necessary mechanism in place to ensure effective monitoring to check any negative behaviour by those who would be in-charge of the day-to-day administration of the scheme.

The scheme has been designed to operate on community basis and each community would determine its own appropriate premium to run the scheme, he added.

The Deputy Minister said in some communities the minimum premium is 4,000 cedis per member per month and commended communities like Ejisu-Juabeng and Kwabre, both in the Ashanti Region, for the serious manner they are working towards the establishment of the scheme.

Answering a question as to, who qualified alongside the worker who would have two-and-a-half per cent deducted from Social Security earnings, Mr Boateng mentioned the worker's spouse and three children as the other beneficiaries.

He, however, explained that not all sicknesses would attract free medical care under the scheme, saying accident victims; emergency operations and pregnant women are some of the patients who would enjoy free medical care.

Citizens covered by the scheme qualify for treatment at any hospital or health institution in the country, not only where they are registered.

Mr Asamoah Boateng, touching on the government's decentralization policy, said District Chief Executives would have to be elected in their communities in the near future to make them more responsible to the electorate.

He said the District Assemblies Common Fund has been increased from five to seven-and-a-half per cent to enable the district assemblies to serve their people effectively in terms of provision of essential projects.

Commenting on the liberalization of the airwaves and the uncomplimentary call-ins by some people on radio programmes against some government officials, Mr Boateng expressed the hope that time would help such Ghanaians to realize the need to help democracy to grow in the country.

''The government is not prepared to gag any press but that also does not give anybody the licence to attack personalities instead of issues,'' he said.

On the government's stand not to use media reports on allegations against members of the government for prosecution Mr Asamoah Boateng said the government is aware of lies peddled on the website by some people.

Mr Asamoah Boateng noted with regret that a section of the media, as well as some mischievous persons, had departed from the norms of the profession and resorted to character assassination.

He quoted a popular saying by the Socialist Group: "Tell a big lie, Repeat it and People Will Believe It" and emphasized that the government, mindful of this wicked motive, would not use information from the media to prosecute anybody.

The Deputy Minister called on those who claim to know the bad nuts in the government to report them to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which is there for all Ghanaians or other law enforcement agencies.

He commented on the government's stand on the "surrender of persons" pact with the United States of America regarding the surrender of persons to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and said the ratification of Article 98 of the Rome Statute "was in the national interest".