The Upper East Region has taken the second position, in terms of registering members onto the National Health Insurance Scheme NHIS membership registration drive, far exceeding the National target of thirty-five percent.
This was disclosed during a progress report meeting organized by the Regional Office of the NHIS at the Regional Coordinating council RCC.
The aim of the meeting was to brief members of the RCC about the strides they have made.
Periodically, the NHIS normally request audience from the Regional Minister and members of the RCC, to update them on the NHIS operations, since their activities are so sensitive and have high public interest.
The meeting was therefore one of such, as the Regional Minister assumed duty barely hundred days in office.
In his welcome address, the Director, RCC Alhaji Mohammadu A Azonko on behalf of the Minister indicated that, there was the need for the NHIS to upscale its public relations with the customer on how the scheme is run, otherwise, people will definitely make unsavory remarks of their operations. He was therefore happy that such a move was being mooted.
Speaking to Radio Ghana, the Regional operations manager of the NHIS Kasimu Abdulai stated that, the Upper West Region record 53 percent followed by the Upper East 52, Bono-Ahafo, 47 and Eastern Region 37, have exceeded the national set target of 35 percent.
Mr. Abdulai disclosed, the status of the family Planning FP implementation, which has been piloted in six districts nationwide three of which are in the Upper Region.
These include Bolgatanga, Bawku Municipalities and Nabdam District. He indicated that, though Act 852 provides for the inclusion of relevant Family Planning (FP) services in the Benefits Package initially, the FP component of the NHIS was left out due to inadequate commodities.
But the Regional Medical Store has got the required commodities to supply all the piloted areas in the region.
The challenge now he said remains the cultural and religions barriers and some misconceptions of FP issues.
Mr. Abdulai lighted on the current interventions of the NHIS, on the E-Renewals and non-Biometric Authentication and E-Receipting which was launched by the President of the Republic of Ghana, barely three months ago.
He stated that, the E-Renewal using mobile phone is gaining grounds saying since 21st December last year, to January 1, 2019, Sixty-Four thousand, seven hundred and 64 people renewed within the region, 28 percent of them, being eighteen thousand Two hundred and 89 used the mobile phone.
Mr. Abdulai was optimistic that with the vigorus campaign, the NHIS is likely to hit 70 percent by the close of the year 2019.
Story filed by Emmanuel Akayeti
