Manso-Nkwanta (Ash), Jan 13, GNA - Dr Kwakye Marfo, a member of the National Health Insurance Council, has described the introduction of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) as one of the major achievements of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government.

He has therefore urged Ghanaians not to tie the scheme to politics but embrace it to enable them get affordable health care. Dr Marfo stated that at Manso-Nkwanta in the Amansie West District, when a two-member team from the National Health Insurance Council interacted with stakeholders to get first hand information facing the scheme in the district and how best to solve them. The stakeholders comprised traditional rulers, assembly members, heads of department, bankers and health providers. Dr Marfo commended the management of the Amansie West Mutual Health Insurance Scheme for the wonderful performance in tackling the health needs of the people.

The Scheme Manager, Mr Oscar Asare Andor, said the district received an amount of 836.8 million cedis from the National Insurance Council at the inception of the scheme.

He said the scheme has so far collected 289.160 million cedis, adding that, the scheme has received bills totalling 22.598 million cedis, as claims and has paid 21.703 million cedis to facilities involved in the district.

Mr Andor said the Amansie West District Assembly was to construct permanent office block for the scheme at the cost of 480 million cedis. Mr Ben Kwakye-Adeefe, the District Chief Executive, said since the inception of the scheme in 2004, the assembly has released 20 million cedis, Toyota pick-up and two Yamaha motorbikes to the scheme. He said the assembly in 2005 released an additional 20 million cedis to the scheme to be used to purchase computers and also allocated one of the assembly's vehicles to be used by the staff.

The Board Chairman, who is also Asantehene's Wirempehene, Nana Opia Mensah, said the scheme has achieved a lot, since its inception but said it still faced with a lot of challenges and mentioned the lack of reliable power supply, as a major problem.

He, therefore, appealed to the National Insurance Council to supply the scheme with a generator and a vehicle to enhance effective work. 13 Jan 06