National Health Insurance Scheme membership drive in Akatsi District

A special registration exercise to help whip up enrolment on to the National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS)  in areas of low patronage in the Volta Region was launched on Wednesday at Akatsi.

Akatsi, North-Tongu and South-Tongu districts, which have the least members in the Region, are the focus of the special exercise.

Mr Doe Adjaho, National Health Insurance Council Chairman said the special scheme was adopted to enable as many people as possible to have the opportunity to enrol to access health care, adding that the level of patronage in some areas was just not encouraging.

Mr Adjaho, who is also a Member of Parliament (MP) for the Area expressed satisfaction at the interest shown by people to register at the centre set up as part of the launch.

He offered to pay the premium of all people who would subscribe to the scheme in the area during the two-week period.

Mr Elliot Akototse, Regional Manager of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) said Akatsi, a highly populated area in the region had very low enrolment and a large number of renewal defaulters.

He said out of the 88,203 people registered since the inception of the scheme in the area only 15,006 were currently active.

Mr Peter Nortsu-Kotoe, Akatsi District Chief Executive  pledged the preparedness of his outfit to help in sensitisation programmes for the exercise.

Mr Francis Dorkenoo, Akatsi District NHIS Manager said the registration teams would be at all major communities in the district and appealed to assembly members, chiefs and opinion leaders to assist in spreading the information to the people.

Source: GNA