Birim South NHIS registers 17,120 persons

Akim Oda, June 6, GNA - The Birim South District Health Insurance Scheme (DHIS) has so far registered 17,120 subscribers and collected 216 million cedis to start the Scheme, the Acting District Chief Executive (DCE), Mr Yaw Apromfi has announced.

Addressing the Third Session of the Fourth Assembly at Akim Oda on Monday, he said the subscribers included 3,000 fully paid up members from the informal sector and 4,800 Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNT) contributors.

The rest included 8,22 children, 1,200 of the subscribers were above 70 years, 70 pensioners and 28 indigents, who were not in a position to pay based on their social welfare assessment.

He appealed to the Assembly Members to get involved in the public education to encourage them to register to ensure a successful implementation of the Scheme.

On local revenue generation, Mr Ampofo said the Assembly had so far collected 232 million cedis from January to March, this year, representing 14.5 per cent of the total target of 1.6 billion cedis for the year.

He mentioned some on-going projects to be funded from the Assembly's share of this year's Common Fund as the extension of the Children's Ward at the Akim Oda Children's Hospital, completion of the Akim Swedru Town Council offices and the completion of the Assembly's office block among other projects.

The DCE further announced that the Assembly had instituted a teacher trainees' sponsorship scheme to support trainees who, after their training, would be posted to the District to fill vacancies in the rural areas.

Mr Amprofi said the Assembly paid 109.7 million cedis as sponsorship package to 146 teacher trainees being sponsored by the Assembly from January 2004 to April 2005. The Presiding Member, Mr Robert Oscar Prah, advised the Assembly members to put their political affiliations aside when deliberating on issues to help move the Assembly forward.