Ghanaians as noted that the government will need the support of the citizenry to sustain the National Health Insurance Scheme. He has urged all well-to-do individuals and corporate bodies support the scheme to ensure a better health care delivery for the populace.

This could be done by sponsoring some identified venerable and poor relatives and individuals to benefit from the scheme.

The Head Pastor of the Ghanaian Seventh-day Adventist in Hamburg, Pastor Elijah Nyamaah, made this known in an interview with this reporter on the occasion of MENS DAY in the church held over the weekend.

The occasion, which is held annually, was aimed at bringing all Ghanaian men residing in the German capital to discuss issues affecting them and contributions they can offer towards the development of Ghana.

The men virtually led all the activities for the day including singing, drama and other related services of the church. They also served the women and children present with Ghanaian dishes prepared themselves.

In the view of the Pastor, the schemes is the best means of ensuring efficient health delivery and urged Ghanaians to support it, adding that ‘there are so many individual who can sponsors others to benefit while at the same time there are so many citizens who cannot pay. Let us look out for these people and help them while at the same time we will be helping in sustaining the scheme.

Pastor Nyamaah called on churches especially those in the rural areas not only to take offerings and tithes from members for their own good but also seek the welfare of members by ensuring their good health. 'When members have good health, half of the pastors’ job is done’. He noted.

He said Ghanaians living abroad must take advantage of the Scheme to provide good health care for their poor relatives and other needy people in the society.

He observed that by taking the scheme seriously, it will not only help the government to sustain it but more importantly, it will relieve them of the agony of sending money, even in times of difficulty, to their sick relatives.

Pastor Nyamaah noted that the government has done all it could to bring the scheme in place and it is up to the individual Ghanaian to help sustain it. He was of the view that it might be difficult for some individuals in the country to afford the monthly minimum subscription of six thousand Ghanaian cedis (US $0.66), and added that ‘this is why God in His wisdom has position some of us to enable us be our brothers’ keeper’.

According to him, although it is not all rosy for those living abroad it is not impossible for them to pay less than one dollar a month for what he termed as a ‘poor soul’.

Pastor Nyamaah stressed the need for Ghanaians in the diaspora to be responsible in paying the premium for at least two poor individuals to ensure that they enjoy good medical care when they are sick. The Elders of the Church Paul Ofori Boateng, Acheamfour Debrah and Dacosta Asare Baffour said the church established some decades ago has been a source of assistance to many Ghanaians living in the country.

They acknowledged that social, financial as well as spiritual problems of the Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians alike are of paramount concern to the leadership of the church.

Elder Wilberforce Antwi-Nyamaah, who organised the event of the day, thanked members and guest for their contributions towards the success of the programme.