Juaso (Ash), Sept 20, GNA - A call has gone to the Government, the Ghana Health Service (GHS) and the Asante-Akim South District Assembly to equip the Juaso Government Hospital to enhance its operations with the introduction of the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme which takes off in the district next month.

Dr Kingsley Ampadu, Medical Superintendent of the Hospital who made the call, said the hospital lacked basic equipment and facilities like x-ray, ultra sound machine and an ambulance.

This, he said, compelled the hospital to refer most cases to other hospitals and pointed out that the situation did not augur well for effective health care delivery in the district.

Dr Ampadu was speaking at a forum organized for stakeholders of the District Mutual Health Insurance Scheme at Juaso at the weekend to sensitise them on the scheme and problems likely to be encountered when the scheme took off.

He said the hospital was located at an accident-prone area on the Kumasi-Accra road where most accident victims were sent for treatment only to be referred to other hospitals in pick-ups and taxis at great danger and discomfort to victims and health authorities. Dr Ampadu, however, declared the hospital's preparedness to work assiduously to the satisfaction of its clients in spite of the poor facilities at their disposal.

Dr Franklin Asiedu Bekoe, the District Director of Health Services, gave the assurance that the health facilities in the district were ready to assist in the smooth take off of the scheme. He admonished the scheme operators to ensure sound claims management, saying, it was crucial in the operations of the scheme since that would determine the success or otherwise of the scheme.