Mr. Abraham Dwumah Odoom, Deputy Minister of Health, has stated that, Insurance levy and contributions from the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), contributed 90 per cent of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) operational and administrational cost, leaving only 10 per cent paid by registered members as premium.
He appealed to Ghanaians who have not as yet joined the scheme to take advantage and register to have access to quality health care.
Mr. Odoom was speaking at the inauguration of the reconstituted Board of Directors of the Sekyere West District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) at Asante Mampong.
He said, the National Insurance authority recently came out with a new tariff after a comprehensive discussion with relevant institutions and other stakeholders hoping to review it periodically in every six months, but regretted that some unpatriotic people were planning to undermine its implementation without any justification.
Mrs. Leticia Osei Poku, Ashanti Regional Manageress of the Scheme, charged the Board Members to demand quarterly financial report from the scheme's manager to ensure transparency and accountability of the use of the scheme's resource.
Mr. Rockson Bronnie, Scheme Manager said, 102,476 people representing 59 per cent of an estimated population of 153,000 in the District had registered with the scheme as at March 31, 2008.
To increase the membership of the scheme, he said the staff have embarked on a massive registration exercise to sensitize the communities on health care, environmental and sanitation good practices.
The reconstituted Board Members Mr. Jacob Amoah, Pharmacist as Chairman, Nana Sarfo Kantanka, Radiographer at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) as Vice Chairman, Mr. Charles Boateng, Sekyere Central District Assembly Representative, Mrs. Rebecca Dokuruga, District Director of Ghana Health Services and Mr. Rockson Kofi Agyekum, Mampong Municipal Chief Executive.