Zebilla, Feb, 14, GNA - The Bawku West District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme ( DMHIS ) cannot take off as scheduled due to the lack of adequate preparation.

Mr. Thompson Samari, Head of the Implementing Committee of the DMHIS announced this when he briefed the District Assembly at it first ordinary meeting in Zebilla.

Members of the Assembly did not take kindly to the brief and took the District Administration and the Focal Person in charge of the Scheme to task for their inability to put the necessary arrangements in place. According to Mr. Samari, the Scheme, which was launched on November 3, last year, was politicised and campaigned against by some individuals.

He said though the Scheme was due to take off after three months grace for the people to start benefiting in April this year, adding that no coding of houses or streets had been made. He said persons recruited to collect premiums had boycotted the exercise for lack of transparency on the part of the Focal Person, while the Assembly failed to support with transport and logistics to reach out to people in the remote areas.

Mr. Samari warned that if the District failed to meet the deadline, it would be delayed and urged them to stop politicising the Scheme and get serious because "sickness is no respecter of persons". He, however, suggested to the Assembly to subsidise the first 2,000 respondents amounting to 44 million cedis while Assembly members helped with the sensitisation exercise to convince at least 30 households each to register.

He also appealed to heads of departments to ensure that all workers registered and fully paid for their spouses and children aged 18 years and above, adding that all Assembly members must pay immediately to demonstrate their commitment. 14 Feb. 05