Children under 18 years to be registered free under NHIS

Krobo-Odumase, June 26, GNA - Children and all persons less than 18 years of age would from next September be registered free under the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).
The NHIS policy, as it stands now, registers children under 18 years as a link to their parents or guardians so that any child whose parents or guardian is not a member of the scheme is automatically not a member too.
Mr Magnus Nartey Donkor, Lower-Manya Krobo District Manager of the Mutual Health Scheme, said this at a ceremony to present cards to beneficiaries of the scheme whose premiums had been paid by Mr David Sackitey, District Chief Executive for the area.
He said the scheme was liaising with the Ghana Education Service (GES) to commence registration process in schools and association of artisans to also register apprentices who fell under 18 years.
Mr Donkor said the new policy is to place responsibility of children and person under 18 years on government as far as their access to heath care is concern.
On the performance of the scheme in the district, he said, it had achieved its target by registering about 96,000 representing 63 percent out of the 154,000 total populations of the district. a
Presenting the cards, Mr Sackitey said the over 100 beneficiaries were people who were identified through an outreach programme organized by the district on the scheme in communities.
He said the beneficiaries are trade apprentices who could not afford to pay the premiums and for that matter he and the presiding member of the Assembly, Mr Kwasi Agyarko-Kyeremanteng decided to pay for them costing GH 953 cedis.
Mr Sackitey however reminded the beneficiaries that responsibility of renewal rested on them so that other needy ones could also benefit from the initiative.