Akim Oda (E/R), March 31, GNA- The Birim South District Assembly on Tuesday held a day’s trainer of trainers workshop on the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for about 100 opinion leaders from the district. The District Director of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Dr L.K. Senaya, in an address noted that the essence of a satisfactory health service was that the rich and the poor were treated alike, adding, ” poverty should not be a disability and wealth not advantage.” He pointed out that “the cash and carry” policy could not be abolished overnight, adding that it would be replaced in phases by the health insurance.
Dr Senaya said currently, tax revenue and donor fund formed about 80 per cent of health financing with the 20 per cent from the “cash and carry” system and mentioned some of the health schemes as Social Health Insurance and Mutual Health Organisation schemes.
The District Planning Officer, Mr Isaac Oware-Aboagye, announced that a task force would be formed to embark on a public sensitisation tour of communities to educate the people on the scheme. He said competent managers would be recruited to manage the scheme, adding that there would be strict accountability of all the monies to be collected. Mr Oware-Aboagye tasked the participants to disseminate information on the scheme in the communities, saying by June, this year the district should start collecting the premium.
