Dormaa-Ahenkro (B/A) Aug 1, GNA - The Dormaa-Ahenkro District Health Insurance Scheme took off on Monday with some members benefiting.

Mr. Martin Amponsah, the scheme's manager, told Ghana News Agency in an interview that by 1030 hours, as many as nine members who had attended hospitals had notified the scheme of their medical treatment. Data on beneficiaries would be kept at the scheme's office and the hospitals earmarked for its implementation to ensure easy and equitable disbursement of hospital bills at the end of each month, Mr. Amponsah added.

The scheme's manager said a total of 38,114 members were captured during the scheme's first registration, which ended on July 31. He said 20,140 of them were children under 18 years and the rest between 18 and 69 years.

There are 1,753 SSNIT beneficiaries, 81 pensioners and 498 indigents.

Mr. Amponsah expressed regret that the figure captured was meagre as compared to the district's population of more than 140,000. He said the scheme's management was drawing an integrated enrolment drive strategy to lure more members into the scheme as a civic responsibility.