About 500 residents of Morso in the Asante Akim-South Municipality have benefited from a free mass registration by the Municipal office of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS).

The exercise, which was funded by Nana Otuo Acheampong, Board Chairman of the Health Facilities Regulatory Agency (HeFRA) was to support the needy and vulnerable in the community to access healthcare.

A total of 250 people were captured in the first phase of the exercise during which children under 18 years and the aged were registered.
Another 250 were captured in the second and third phases made up of adults who had never registered as well as those whose cards had expired.
In attendance to witness the third phase were Dr. Lydia Baaba Dsane-Selby, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Insurance Authority, Dr. Philip Bannor, Chief Executive Officer of HeFRA and other dignitaries at the local level.

Nana Otuo Acheampong who also doubles as the Adontenhene of Morso, said it was important for every citizen to have access to quality healthcare and the NHIS card was the basic requirement.

He said it was disheartening that some people were not able to visit health facilities even when they needed medical attention, because they could not afford to register for the NHIS.

"It is for this reason that I am sponsoring this exercise to bring relief to those who genuinely cannot afford to register or renew their cards", he explained.

He said as an appointee of the President in the health sector, it was imperative for him to give back to society and he could not have chosen any better place, but his own community to make an impact.

Dr. Philip Bannor, the Chief Executive Officer of HeFRA said the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government after returning to power revamped the NHIS to make it more effective.

He entreated the people to ignore the propaganda of the opposition that the NHIS was collapsing and urged card holders to take advantage of the scheme to address their health needs.

Dr. Lydia Baaba Dsane-Selby, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority encouraged NHIS subscribers not to wait till they were sick before attending hospital.

She said the NHIS catered for all primary healthcare services including; minor surgeries and urged patients to insist on their rights for quality care at the facilities.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) expressed their gratitude to Nana Otuo Acheampong for the intervention and the true leadership he demonstrated.