Mankranso (Ash), Aug 11, GNA - The Ahafo-Ano South District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme spent over 26 million cedis on drugs and services for its registered members in May and June this year. In all, about 10,188 paid-up members in the formal and informal sectors made up of 3,514 paid-up members in the informal sector, 722 SSNIT contributors, 5,507 dependants and 445 pensioners were benefiting from the scheme in the district.

These were contained in the first quarter report on claims since the implementation of the scheme and the number of registered members at a meeting of the Board of Directors of the scheme at Mankranso on Tuesday.

The report said the scheme started implementing the benefits and claims management from May, this year with the involvement of the Saint Edward's and Saint John clinics at Dwinyama and Domeabra, the Mpasaso, Sabronum, Pokukrom and Esienkyem health centres.

Other health facilities which, renders service to the scheme are the Mankranso Government Hospital, Bechem Government Hospital, Seventh-Day Adventist (SDA) hospital at Kwadaso and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi and Sunyani regional hospital which serve as the main referral hospitals and Ashbys Pharmacy at Abuakwa. In a brief address, Mr Kwaku Obeng Boateng, the District Chief Executive and chairman of the board, stressed the need to improve upon the importance of encouraging the people to register with the scheme. They should, he said, let it be devoid of politics so that all the people in the district will benefit from the scheme.

Mr. Francis Obed Amoako, the District Manager of the scheme, appealed to the National Health Insurance Council to quickly release subsidies and the SSNIT contributors' premiums to the districts to help sustain it, since bills for payment of drugs and services were pouring in from the health facilities.