Dr. Anthony Adofo Ofosu, the Deputy Director-General (DG) of the Ghana Health Services (GHS) says the Governing Council of the Service will be establishing a top-up health insurance scheme to cover health expenses of staff.

Dr. Ofosu explained that the new scheme would be a supplement to the existing National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) for workers under the GHS.

He said the Council had observed that the Service continued to face the challenge of flying some of its staff outside Ghana for expensive medical treatment not covered under the NHIS, saying, unfortunately, some of those ailing staff died before funds were mobilized for their treatment.

Dr. Ofosu made the announcement when he was speaking on the theme “Strengthening Maternal and Child Health Service Delivery in the midst of COVID-19” at the opening of the maiden Mid-Year Performance Review Meeting of the Bono East Regional Health Directorate at Kintampo in the region.

He said the Council was working hard to ensure that the scheme would take off before the end of this year, starting with the contributions covering children below 18 years to be extended to post-retirement period till a member is called to eternity.

Dr. Ofosu said the Council was expecting Management at all levels to effectively educate staff to clearly understand the nature of the scheme for them to enroll unto it.

He indicated other sectors of the GHS such as staff of the Christian Health Association of Ghana (CHAG) would be required to pay a small amount of their incomes to enroll unto this scheme.

Mr. Kofi Amoakohene, the Bono East Regional Minister, commended health workers, staff of the Regional Coordinating Council, the media and other stakeholders in the effort to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 in the region.

Mr. Amoakohene, also the Member of Parliament for Atebubu-Amanten acknowledged the dedicated services of most health workers in the GHS and urged them to always be professional and committed to delivering quality health services for their clients.

He assured government’s commitment to improving and providing quality health care delivery services to the door steps of the populace since health remained the pivotal point of human resource for a nation-building.