Chief Executive Officer, NHIS, Mr Ras Boateng (middle) addressing the media. On his left is Hon Frank Agyekum, Deputy Minister, (MINO) and on his rigth is Mr D.A.Y Sampong, Chief Drirector, (MINO)
 

The Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Mr Ras Boateng yesterday disclosed that the Free Maternal Care introduced this year was aimed at reducing maternal mortality due to complications of pregnancy or delivery, up to the end of the six week post-natal period.

Addressing the media at the 'Meet-the-Press Series,' organised by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Accra, Mr Ras Boateng said that to improve the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 4 and 5, there was the need for an intervention to give free deliveries.

Mr Boateng stated that it was decided to implement the MDG through the NHIS so that mothers could have the full package of ante-natal, deliveries and post-natal care as well as all medical costs for the year.

He said it was estimated that there would be about 940,000 pregnancies this year. This is expected to increase to1, 030,000 by 2012. He said out of a total of 50,924 registered pregnant women recorded since July, Ashanti Region has the highest number of 12,164 while Volta Region has the lowest number of 1,589.

The CEO stressed that all pregnant women  who are not currently registered with the NHIS would be exempted from paying the NHIS premium and the registration charge. He also said that any woman who delivered at home or in an unaccredited health facility and who subsequently presents at an accredited health facility with post-partum complications during the six week post-natal period would be registered.

In addition, he said the scheme faces challenges in terms of capacity at health facilities to deal with the sudden increase in numbers, fast processes of members' registration and production of ID cards and timely claims reimbursement. He, however, assured the public of the motivation of health workers in order to improve upon their services.

Responding to a question, he said 'cost is just one side of the project and the other side being the benefits and purposes which must also be considered since a healthy society would be a more productive society and a more productive society would accumulate wealth.'

The Deputy Minister for Information and National Orientation, Mr Frank Agyekum, who chaired the function appealed to all pregnant women to register as early as possible with their local District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (DMHIS) office or agent. Source: ISD (Lydia Adjei-Yeboah & Elizabeth Owusu-Siaw)