NHIC releases ¢3 billion to Saboba/Chereponi District

The National Health Insurance Council has released GH¢300,000 (¢3 billion) to the Saboba/Chereponi District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme to cover subsidy, salaries/allowances and other administrative expenses.

Mr Namoro Azumah Sanda, the District Chief Executive announced this at the 4th Annual General Meeting of the Saboba Mutual Health Insurance Scheme at Saboba.

He said the government was aware that the goals of the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) could be seriously undermined by poor health and was therefore doing everything possible to make quality health care accessible to all.

He explained that the endemic poverty in the area had forced the people to resort to the services of traditional medicine practitioners and quack doctors who had no training in the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases such as malaria and expressed the hope that the scheme would help to eradicate such practises.

Mr Sanda said malaria and HIV/AIDS dominated serious health issues that could slow down economic growth and development in the area and called on the people to adopt healthier lifestyles.

Mr. Kenneth Wujangi, the District NHIS Board Chairman, said total expenses the scheme incurred between January and October this year, amounted to GH¢22,000 (¢220 million).

The District Scheme Manager, Mr James Kunji Nanji, said outstanding bills as at the end of October, this year, amounted to GH¢522.500 (¢522.5 million).