Kassena-Nankana Launches Health Insurance Scheme

Navrongo (U/E), May 1, GNA - The Kassena-Nankana District Health Insurance Scheme was, on Friday, launched in Navrongo with a call on members of the Over-seeing Committee to dedicate themselves seriously to their responsibilities in order to make it a success.

Mr. Mahami Salifu, Upper East Regional Minister, who made the call at a launching ceremony, said the Scheme was introduced to enable all citizens to have access to health delivery and that there will be no justification for it to fail.

He said the outcome of the Scheme would depend mostly on how active the committee, charged with over-seeing its implementation goes about its work and also how the Community Registration Officers and other Opinion leaders educate the people.

He noted that the Mutual Health Insurance Scheme was a more humane system of payment for health delivery, unlike the previous system of payment at the point of service, which scared many sick people who did not have money at the time of illness from attending hospital.

He explained that the Scheme was expected to contribute 20 per cent to the Public Health Service bill, while the Government shoulders 80 per cent to enable everybody to have access to health care regardless of their financial status.

Mr. Kofi Amponsah Bediako, Assistant Government Spokesman on Social Services explained that the scheme was meant to care for everybody and enable the poor to seek medical attention in times of need without fear of costs.

"It is a noble scheme and as it demands that we pay small amounts of money at a time, everybody can contribute and be able to go to hospital at anytime anywhere in the country once you have the card to certify that you are a paid up member", he added.

Mr. George Dan-Yare, Kassena-Nankana District Chief Executive, called on every household in the area to register so as to ensure that they adequately safeguard the health of their families.

He said the minimum contribution of 72 thousand cedis per adult would enable a family with children below 18 years to benefit from the scheme if the two parents pay up.