159,731 get on board Wassa health insurance

Wassa West District Health Insurance Scheme has registered 159,731 clients since it was established in 2004.

Mr Samuel Frimpong Agyem, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the scheme who announced this at its third Annual General Meeting at Tarkwa on Saturday said the scheme was determined to register 70,000 people this year.

He said the scheme undertook outreach programme at Prestea, Bogoso, Darman, Pataho and some business organisations.

Mr Agyem said by the end of last year, 26,561 clients of the scheme were diagnosed and treated for malaria, respiratory track infection and hypertension mostly affecting the aged.

He said the scheme generated about ¢4.4 billion in revenue and paid ¢3.5 billion as claims to service providers and schemes that paid bills on their behalf.

Mr Agyem said however, about ¢74 million were rendered invalid claims.

He said office accommodation was a major problem facing the scheme because there was no space to cater for additional furniture and clients who visited the office could not be accommodated.

Other problems were outdated tariffs, constraints on production of identity cards and frequent breakdown of equipment.

Mr Francis Adjei, Scheme Manager, said the prime concern of every Government was to ensure accessible, affordable and quality health care to the people.

He said the scheme was established to ensure equitable and universal access for Ghanaians to quality health care especially rural dwellers.

Source: GNA