Nkwanta South District achieves 100 percent case reduction

Nkwanta, Aug. 27, GNA - The guinea worm eradication activities in the Nkwanta South district have seen remarkable achievement, recording a 100 percent case reduction in the second half of the year, Mr Joseph Yaw Denteh, Chief Executive of the district has disclosed.

Mr Denteh, who could not provide statistics on the situation, however attributed the success story to inter-sectoral collaboration among major actors including World Vision International (WVI), DANIDA under the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) and several development partners.

On the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme, he said registered clients as of April, this year, numbered 61,146 out of which 47,643 are valid card bearers, representing 42.4 percent of the district population.

Mr Denteh said government subsidy received amounted to GHc 864,411 as against GHc 180,628 mobilized internally as premium, which accounted for only 20.89 percent of the total re-imbursement made to service providers.

He said the Scheme paid a total of GHc 797,951 as medical bills including 602 major surgical operations for 78,033 visits made by 47,643 clients, who accessed healthcare services in and outside Nkwanta. Mr Denteh said medical bills per client averagely has risen to GHc 20.20 in 2008 contrary to the GHc 10.92 it paid in 2007 following the introduction of new drug price list with no corresponding upward review of premium.

The DCE appealed to assembly members to continue to educate their constituents to join the scheme and renew their membership annually, adding the National Health Insurance Scheme has come to stay irrespective of regime.