TEMA REGISTERS MORE UNDER NHIS, DAILY GRAPHIC, SAT FEB 12, 2011 (PAGE 18)

Story: Della Russel Ocloo

THE Tema Metropolitan Mutual Health Insurance Scheme registered 386,320 persons last year. Within the same peroid, about 60,070 persons also registered under the scheme’s mass registration programme between October-December 2010. The figure represents a 60percent increase over that of 2009.
The Tema Metropolitan Scheme Manager, Mr Douglas Annan disclosed this at an outreach programme organised by the scheme at Ashalley Botwe, near Adenta.
The programme termed, health insurance clinic according to the Mr Annan was part of the National Health Insurance Scheme’s (NHIS) 2011 strategic policy initiative. It was also aimed at reducing misconception about the operations of the scheme.
The outreach clinic which was under the auspices of Liberty Mutual Healthcare would also be taken to communities such as Appolonia, Kakasunaka No 1, Zeenu, Community 2, Adjei Kojo and Kanewu, all in the Tema metropolis.
It also had the support from Narbita Hospital, New Crystal Hospitals, Cocoa Processing Company (CPC) amongst other providers.
The rural idea according to Mr Annan was to ensure underprivileged communities do not miss out on access to quality health care.
The scheme manager pointed out that, the initiative was intended to educate residents on disease prevention with special emphasis on productive measures towards preventive medicine as opposed to curative medicine.
Public Relations Officer of the scheme, Ms Kafui Gunu-Kuekey appealed to corporate institutions within the Tema metropolis to incorporate into their social responsibility programmes the health needs of residents who formed a chunk of their clientele.
She said enrolling the vulnerable onto the scheme by institutions and organisations would go a long way towards increasing accessibility to health while reducing pressure on government’s resources.
Participants at the programme were screened and educated on Hepatitis B, Diabetes, HIV/AIDs, amongst other diseases. Officials also provided eye and body max index services to the community.
The Adenta Municipal Director of Health Services, Dr Justice Hoffman said, the absence of public health institutions in the municipality had contributed to the rise in cost of healthcare for residents who solely depend on few private facilities.
These private facilities he said cater for the health needs of the over 155, 000 residents in the municipality.
“A worrying fact has to do with pregnant and nursing mothers who are not able to access quality healthcare owing to their inability to enroll on the NHIS scheme resulting from resource constraints”, he lamented.
Dr Hoffman also expressed worry at the increase rate of communicable diseases particularly malaria in the municipality. He indicated that, studies conducted in the borough indicates that, majority of residents do not have access to mosquito nets, whereas those who were privileged do not make use of them. A situation he described as worrying and appeal
He appealed to government and the municipal assembly to speed up work on the three government health facilities under construction to help ease congestion at the private facilities.